Attenuation of Cardiac Fibrillation Vulnerability by n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in a Rat Model of Cardiomyopathy
Year: 2014
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Ventricular fibrillation (VF) and atrial fibrillation are major health concerns. Current therapies do not treat the structural remodeling that underlies many arrhythmic conditions. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may prevent the formation of structural remodeling. Therefore, we sought to develop a rat model of cardiomyopathy, followed by characterizing the individual effect the n-3 PUFAs, docosahexaenoic acids (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA) in preventing VF vulnerability and the associated structural remodeling. The rat model was developed by superimposing hypertension with repeated bolus injections of isoproterenol. In the absence of n-3 PUFAs, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) that received isoproterenol for 8 weeks had higher VF vulnerability than the control SHRs. DHA partially attenuated this increase in VF vulnerability and reduced the quantity of structural remodeling. The results of this study suggested that, in this model of cardiomyopathy, DHA, but not EPA reduced the VF vulnerability manifested through attenuation of arrhythmia-promoting structural remodeling.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Lily Zou
Language: English
Subfield: Nutrition and Dietetics
Field: Nursing
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2602408024