Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, resulting in substantial morbidity and mortality. An important risk factor for developing AF is age, with a lifetime risk of 1 in 6 for the condition. The incidence of AF is increasing in epidemic proportion as the US population ages, and currently available treatment is often ineffective. The clinical course of AF is typically progressive, due to electrical and structural remodeling in the atria with rapid stimulation that increases arrhythmia susceptibility. Oxidative stress and inflammation play an important role in generating the AF substrate and promoting this remodeling process. Recently, we showed that atrial cells rapidly stimulated in culture undergo remodeling very similar to that observed in human AF. Importantly, transcriptional profiling in paced cells exhibited striking concordance with changes seen in vivo. Unexpectedly, we observed conserved transcriptional upregulation in proteins involved in amyloidosis, a process associated with protein misfolding and deposition in multiple neurodegenerative diseases, notably Alzheimer's disease. Substantial evidence indicates that the toxic species in these disorders are soluble preamyloid oligomer intermediates, rather than the mature fibrillar, amyloid-positive deposits. Indeed, our preliminary data demonstrate striking accumulation of preamyloid oligomers in rapidly-paced atrial cells, with similar results in experimental and human AF. Taken together, these data form a strong rationale for the proposed studies. The goal of this proposal is to test the hypothesis that atrial preamyloid oligomers are pathophysiologically linked to the development of AF in humans.
In Specific Aim 1, human atrial samples obtained during routine cardiac surgery at multiple centers will be used to examine the relationship of preamyloid oligomer formation to age, the risk of postoperative AF, and established AF in humans. Indicators of oxidative stress will also be investigated in these samples.
In Specific Aim 2, we will explore the effects of potent antioxidant/anti-inflammatory compounds that are also known to inhibit soluble oligomer formation, on the generation of atrial preamyloid oligomers in response to rapid stimulation in vitro and during experimental AF. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is known to form amyloid fibrils, and it is present in isolated atrial amyloidosis, a process that increases with aging in humans. Recently, mutations in ANP were causally linked to familial AF.
In Specific Aim 3, we will determine whether these ANP mutations promote the formation of preamyloid oligomers as a potential mechanism to increase AF susceptibility. The proposed studies have substantial significance, since preamyloid oligomers may not only provide a mechanistic link between oxidative stress, aging, and AF, but they may also provide a novel therapeutic target in the treatment of this common and difficult to treat arrhythmia.

Public Health Relevance

The studies described in this proposal will improve our understanding of the basic mechanisms that cause a heart rhythm disturbance known as atrial fibrillation. This is important because atrial fibrillation is common in the general population, and it causes a substantial number of strokes each year, as well as weakened heart function, or heart failure. We anticipate that we will identify new mechanisms that increase a person's susceptibility to atrial fibrillation, and thus new approaches should develop to prevent its occurrence.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL096844-05
Application #
8644853
Study Section
Clinical and Integrative Cardiovascular Sciences Study Section (CICS)
Program Officer
Boineau, Robin
Project Start
2010-05-01
Project End
2015-03-31
Budget Start
2014-04-01
Budget End
2015-03-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
$378,378
Indirect Cost
$135,828
Name
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
004413456
City
Nashville
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
37212
Yang, Zhenjiang; Prinsen, Joseph K; Bersell, Kevin R et al. (2017) Azithromycin Causes a Novel Proarrhythmic Syndrome. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 10:
Bultman, Scott J; Holley, Darcy Wood; G de Ridder, Gustaaf et al. (2016) BRG1 and BRM SWI/SNF ATPases redundantly maintain cardiomyocyte homeostasis by regulating cardiomyocyte mitophagy and mitochondrial dynamics in vivo. Cardiovasc Pathol 25:258-269
Ray, Wayne A; Chung, Cecilia P; Murray, Katherine T et al. (2015) Out-of-hospital mortality among patients receiving methadone for noncancer pain. JAMA Intern Med 175:420-7
Kolek, Matthew J; Muehlschlegel, J Daniel; Bush, William S et al. (2015) Genetic and clinical risk prediction model for postoperative atrial fibrillation. Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol 8:25-31
Darghosian, Leon; Free, Marcia; Li, Jie et al. (2015) Effect of omega-three polyunsaturated fatty acids on inflammation, oxidative stress, and recurrence of atrial fibrillation. Am J Cardiol 115:196-201
Chung, Cecilia P; Callahan, S Todd; Cooper, William O et al. (2015) Development of an algorithm to identify serious opioid toxicity in children. BMC Res Notes 8:293
Sidorova, Tatiana N; Yermalitskaya, Liudmila V; Mace, Lisa C et al. (2015) Reactive ?-ketoaldehydes promote protein misfolding and preamyloid oligomer formation in rapidly-activated atrial cells. J Mol Cell Cardiol 79:295-302
Sidorova, Tatiana N; Mace, Lisa C; Wells, K Sam et al. (2014) Quantitative Imaging of Preamyloid Oligomers, a Novel Structural Abnormality, in Human Atrial Samples. J Histochem Cytochem 62:479-87
January, Craig T; Wann, L Samuel; Alpert, Joseph S et al. (2014) 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. J Am Coll Cardiol 64:e1-76
January, Craig T; Wann, L Samuel; Alpert, Joseph S et al. (2014) 2014 AHA/ACC/HRS guideline for the management of patients with atrial fibrillation: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on practice guidelines and the Heart Rhythm Society. Circulation 130:e199-267

Showing the most recent 10 out of 24 publications