Effects of hypoxia on atrioventricular node of adult and neonatal rabbit hearts

Abstract

We used an isolated perfused heart model to assess the effects of graded hypoxia (95, 45, 20, 10, or 0% O2, exposure for 5 min) on the adult and neonatal (0-3 days) rabbit atrioventricular (AV) node. The AV nodal function was assessed by measuring the A-H interval at a constant atrial pacing cycle length, the longest pacing cycle length resulting in Wenckebach periodicity [Wenckebach cycle length (WCL)] and the AV nodal effective refractory period (AVNERP). The A-H intervals remained stable in neonatal hearts until O2 saturation was decreased to 10%. On the other hand, the A-H intervals began to increase in adult rabbit hearts at 20% O2. In 95% O2, the AV nodal WCL was longer in adult hearts than in the neonatal hearts (165 +/- 8 ms vs. 142 +/- 7 ms). The effect of hypoxia on the AV nodal WCL was significantly greater in adult hearts than in neonatal hearts when the O2 saturation was decreased to 20% (a 54% increase in adults vs. a 14% increase in neonates, P = 0.02). The difference was greater at lower levels of O2. In 95% O2 at comparable basis driving cycle length (240 ms), the A-H intervals were equal in neonatal and adult hearts (43 +/- 3 vs. 43 +/- 7 ms), but the AVNERP of the neonates was significantly longer than that of the adults (133 +/- 21 vs. 97 +/- 19 ms, P = 0.007).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)