Aims

Contemporary ionic-based membrane models are computationally expensive and are not intended to match the properties of a given experimental preparation. The aim of this work was to use measured restitution properties of electrically remodelled atrial tissue to develop a simplified membrane model based on the Fenton-Karma (FK) equations amenable to large-scale simulation of chronic atrial fibrillation (CAF).

Methods

Two membrane models, the FK-CAF and FK-CNTRL parameter sets, were developed to match action potential duration (APD) and conduction velocity (CV) restitution properties of rapid-pacing-induced electrically remodelled sheep atria and healthy atria, respectively. The models were tested by inducing reentry in a two-dimensional anisotropic monodomain and comparing the resulting cycle lengths (CL) with measured CLs.

Results

Parameters for the FK models were obtained that reproduced APD and CV restitution properties measured in the CAF and healthy sheep atria. Using the FK-CAF parameters, reentry was sustained in a 2.5 by 2.5 cm sheet with a CL = 91.0 +/- 3.0 ms. Reentry (CL = 113.2 +/- 5.2 ms) could only be sustained in the FK-CNTRL model after the tissue was first activated at a fast rate (136.5 ms).

Conclusions

The FK-CAF model is shown to approximate the restitution properties of remodelled sheep atria and can be used to simulate reentry with short CLs similar to those measured during AF episodes.