Measurement of Funny Current (If) Channel mRNA in Human Atrial Tissue: Correlation with Left Atrial Filling Pressure and Atrial Fibrillation

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Abstract
If in Human Atrial Tissue. Introduction: The funny current (If) contributes to phase IV spontaneous depolarization in cardiac pacemaker tissue. Enhanced If activity in myocardial tissue may lead to increased automatically and therefore tachyarrhythmia. We measured the amount of If, activity in the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) in human atrial tissue and correlated the mRNA amount to left atrial filling pressure and atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and Results: A total of 34 patients undergoing open heart surgery were included (15 men and 19 women, aged 55 ± 10 years). Atrial tissue was obtained from the right atrial free wall, the right atrial appendage, the left atrial free wall, and the left atrial appendage, respectively. The mRNA amount of the If channel was measured by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and was normalized to the mRNA levels of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase. We found that the If channel mRNA was present at all the atrial sampling sites. A higher left atrial filling pressure, an indicator of congestive heart failure, was associated with a higher If mRNA level (r2= 0.446, P < 0.01 by linear regression). We also found that the mRNA amount was significantly higher in patients with AF than in patients without AF (1.68 ± 0.49 vs 1.27 ± 0.43; P < 0.05). Age, sex, right atrial filling pressure, left atrial dimension, and left ventricular ejection fraction had no significant effect on the mRNA level. Conclusion: The nRNA of the If, channel is present in the free-wall area and appendage area from both atria. Increased left atrial filling pressure and clinical AF are associated with increased If mRNA level.