ON THE TRANSMISSION OF EXCITATION IN THE ATRIAL MUSCLE DURING ACONITINEINDUCED FIBRILLATION

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Abstract
Fibrillation was induced through the administration of aconitine on the right atrium isolated from a young rabbit, and the electrical activity was recorded simultaneously from two fibers of the fibrillating atrial muscle. Synchronization of the activities of any two fibers in the fibrillating atrium decreased with increase in electrode distance. The decrease was far more evident in the transverse than in the longitudinal direction. Two types of slow or small depolarizations in the fibrillating atrial muscle was recognized. One was the slow oscillating potential in the ectopic pacemaker and the other was the "junctional potential" probably produced by the electrotonic spread of the action potential of the contiguous fiber through the intercellular junction. It is concluded that the spread of fibrillation is regulated by the degree of decrement at the intercellular junctions.[long dash]K. Hashimoto.