Key result
Swine sterile pericarditis model replicates canine electrophysiology and induces sustained postoperative AF in 43%.
Why the study?
Canine models of postoperative atrial fibrillation face ethical restrictions and declining social acceptance, prompting the need to validate a swine sterile pericarditis model as an alternative.
A newly developed swine sterile pericarditis model demonstrates electrophysiologic properties consistent with the canine model, providing a viable alternative for studying postoperative atrial fibrillation.
Swine model offers POAF research alternative; leaves open clinical translation pending validation.
BACKGROUND: The canine sterile pericarditis model associated with atrial inflammation is an experimental counterpart of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF). However, the use of canines for research is restricted by ethics committees in many countries, and social acceptance is declining. OBJECTIVE: To validate the feasibility of the swine sterile pericarditis model as an experimental counterpart to study POAF. METHODS: Seven domestic pigs (35-60 kg) underwent initial pericarditis surgery. On two or more postoperative days in the closed-chest state, we performed electrophysiological measurements of pacing threshold and atrial effective refractory period (AERP) while pacing from the right atrial appendage (RAA) and the posterior left atrium (PLA). The inducibility of POAF (>5 min) by burst pacing was determined in both the conscious and anesthetized closed-chest state. These data were compared to previously published canine sterile pericarditis data for validation. RESULTS: The pacing threshold increased from day 1 to day 3 (2 ± 0.1 to 3.3 ± 0.6 mA in the RAA, 2.5 ± 0.1 to 4.8 ± 0.2 mA in the PLA). Also, the AERP increased from day 1 to day 3 (118 ± 8 to 157 ± 16 ms in the RAA; 98 ± 4 to 124 ± 2 ms in the PLA, both p < .05). Induction of sustained POAF occurred in 43% (POAF CL range 74-124 ms). All electrophysiologic data from the swine model were consistent with the canine model with respect to (1) the range of both pacing threshold and AERP; (2) the progressive increase in threshold and AERP over time; (3) a 40%-50% incidence of POAF. CONCLUSION: A newly developed swine sterile pericarditis model demonstrated electrophysiologic properties consistent with the canine model and patients after open heart surgery.
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Lee et al. (2023) studied Postoperative atrial fibrillation (n=7). Swine sterile pericarditis model vs. Historical canine sterile pericarditis data was evaluated on Inducibility of sustained postoperative atrial fibrillation (>5 min). The swine sterile pericarditis model demonstrated electrophysiologic properties consistent with the canine model, with sustained postoperative atrial fibrillation induced in 43% of subjects.
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