Rabbit and guinea pig cardiac action potentials and electrocardiograms are more similar to humans than those of rats and mice, making them preferable models for studying cardiac electrophysiology.
This review provides a comprehensive comparison of cardiac electrophysiology between rodents and humans to aid researchers in selecting appropriate animal models for translational studies.
Electrocardiogram (ECG) is a non-invasive valuable diagnostic tool that is used in clinics for investigation and monitoring of heart electrical rhythm/conduction, ischemia/injury of heart, electrolyte disturbances and agents/drugs induced cardiac toxicity. Nowadays using animal models to study heart diseases such as electrical and mechanical disturbance is common. In addition, given to ethical consideration and availability, the use of small rodents has been a top priority for cardiovascular researchers. However, extrapolation of experimental findings from the lab to the clinic needs sufficient basic knowledge of similarities and differences between heart action potential and ECG of rodents and humans in normal and disease conditions. This review compares types of human action potentials, the dominant ion currents during action potential phases, alteration in ion channels activities in channelopathies-induced arrhythmias and the ECG appearance of mouse, rat, guinea pig, rabbit and human. Also, it briefly discusses the responsiveness and alterations in ECG following some interventions such as cardiac injury and arrhythmia induction. Overall, it provides a roadmap for researchers in selecting the best animal model/species whose studies results can be translated into clinical practice. In addition, this study will also be useful to biologists, physiologists, pharmacologists, veterinarians and physicians working in the fields of comparative physiology, pharmacology, toxicology and diseases.
Siyavash Joukar (Wed,) conducted a review in Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias. Rabbit and guinea pig cardiac action potentials and electrocardiograms are more similar to humans than those of rats and mice, making them preferable models for studying cardiac electrophysiology.