Chemical ablation of the Purkinje system causes early termination and activation rate slowing of long-duration ventricular fibrillation in dogs (original) (raw)

Endocardial mapping has suggested that Purkinje fibers may play a role in the maintenance of long-duration ventricular fibrillation (LDVF). To determine the influence of Purkinje fibers on LDVF, we chemically ablated the Purkinje system with Lugol solution and recorded endocardial and transmural activation during LDVF. Dog hearts were isolated and perfused, and the ventricular endocardium was exposed and treated with Lugol solution ( n = 6) or normal Tyrode solution as a control ( n = 6). The left anterior papillary muscle endocardium was mapped with a 504-electrode (21 × 24) plaque with electrodes spaced 1 mm apart. Transmural activation was recorded with a six-electrode plunge needle on each side of the plaque. Ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced, and perfusion was halted. LDVF spontaneously terminated sooner in Lugol-ablated hearts than in control hearts (4.9 ± 1.5 vs. 9.2 ± 3.2 min, P = 0.01). After termination of VF, both the control and Lugol hearts were typically excita...