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Increasing DHA and EPA Concentrations Prolong Action Potential Durations and Reduce Transient Outward Potassium Currents in Rat Ventricular Myocytes

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Lipids

Abstract

The goal of this study was to determine the mechanisms of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) on anti-arrhythmias and prevention of sudden death. The calcium-tolerant Sprague–Dawley rat ventricular myocytes were isolated by enzyme digestion. Effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on action potentials and transient outward potassium currents (I to) of epicardial ventricular myocytes were investigated using whole-cell patch clamp techniques. Action potential durations (APDs) and I to were observed in different concentrations of DHA and EPA. APD25, APD50, and APD90 with 0.1 μmol/L DHA and EPA were prolonged less than 15% and 10%. However, APDs were prolonged in concentration-dependent manners when DHA and EPA were more than 1 μmol/L. APD25, APD50, and APD90 were 7.7 ± 2.0, 21.2 ± 3.5, and 100.1 ± 9.8 ms respectively with 10 μmol/L DHA, and 7.2 ± 2.5, 12.8 ± 4.2, and 70.5 ± 10.7 ms respectively with 10 μmol/L EPA. I to currents were gradually reduced with the increased concentrations of DHA and EPA from 1 to 100 μmol/L, and their half-inhibited concentrations were 2.3 ± 0.2 and 3.8 ± 0.6 μmol/L. The results showed APDs were prolonged and I to current densities were gradually reduced with the increased concentrations of DHA and EPA. The anti-arrhythmia mechanisms of n-3 PUFA are complex, however, the effects of n-3 PUFA on action potentials and I to may be one of the important mechanisms.

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Abbreviations

PUFA:

Polyunsaturated fatty acids

DHA:

Docosahexaenoic acid

EPA:

Eicosapentaenoic acid

I to :

Transient outward potassium currents

APDs:

Action potential durations

APD25 :

Action potential duration of 25% repolarization

APD50 :

Action potential duration of 50% repolarization

APD90 :

Action potential duration of 90% repolarization

HP:

Holding potential

V max :

Maximal velocity of action potential depolarization

APA:

Action potential amplitude

OS:

Overshoot

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported, in part, by a grant (CS20010015) from the Wuxi Science and Technology Bureau of Jiangsu Province, China; and by the Specialized Research Fund for the ‘135’ Project (RC2007001) from Jiangsu Province of China. The authors thank Miss Lian-hua Han for her assistance in the preparation of this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, 215006, China

    Hong-**a Li, **ang-Jun Yang & Wen-** Jiang

  2. Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Hospital of Nan**g Medical University in Wuxi and People’s Hospital of Wuxi City, Wuxi, 214023, China

    Ru-**ng Wang, **ao-Rong Li, Ying Wu, Su-**a Guo, Li-** Sun & Zhen-Yu Yang

  3. Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical College, Kunming, 650032, China

    Tao Guo

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  1. Hong-**a Li
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Correspondence to Ru-**ng Wang.

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Li, HX., Wang, RX., Li, XR. et al. Increasing DHA and EPA Concentrations Prolong Action Potential Durations and Reduce Transient Outward Potassium Currents in Rat Ventricular Myocytes. Lipids 46, 163–170 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-010-3503-3

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