Arrhythmias and Death After Coronary Artery Occlusion in the Rat

Abstract

Two distinct arrhythmogenic periods occur in rats with acute MI that may be caused by different mechanisms and correspond to the bimodal arrhythmia time course seen in dogs and humans after acute MI. Telemetric monitoring of the ECG in the conscious rat after infarction will be useful in assessment of the differential effects of therapeutic interventions on these two arrhythmogenic periods and in the study of potential mechanisms for the spontaneous resolution of ventricular ectopy and risk of sudden death.