AUTHOR=Qiu Huiliang , Ji Chunlan , Liu Wei , Wu Yuchi , Lu Zhaoyu , Lin Qizhan , Xue Zheng , Liu Xusheng , Wu Huanlin , Jiang Wei , Zou Chuan TITLE=Chronic Kidney Disease Increases Atrial Fibrillation Inducibility: Involvement of Inflammation, Atrial Fibrosis, and Connexins JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology VOLUME=9 YEAR=2018 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.01726 DOI=10.3389/fphys.2018.01726 ISSN=1664-042X ABSTRACT=
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) causes atrial structural remodeling and subsequently increases the incidence of atrial fibrillation (AF). Atrial connexins and inflammatory responses may be involved in this remodeling process. In this study, nephrectomy was used to produce the CKD rat model. Three months post-nephrectomy, cardiac structure, function and AF vulnerability were quantified using echocardiography and electrophysiology methods. The left atrial tissue was tested for quantification of fibrosis and inflammation, and for the distribution and expression of connexin (Cx) 40 and Cx43. An echocardiography showed that CKD resulted in the left atrial enlargement and left ventricular hypertrophy, but had no functional changes. CKD caused a significant increase in the AF inducible rate (91.11% in CKD group vs. 6.67% in sham group,