Biophysics and Soft Matter Seminar

Acidosis, temperature, and calcium: arrhythmogenic triggers in Long QT3 and Brugada Syndromes

Wednesday, 01 February 2017 12:00PM PST
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Biophysics and Soft Matter Seminar
 
Peter Ruben
Department of Kinesiology, SFU
 
Acidosis, temperature, and calcium: arrhythmogenic triggers in Long QT3 and Brugada Syndromes
 
Feb 01, 2017 at 12PM
 

Synopsis

Despite substantive advances in the understanding of underlying molecular mechanisms, inherited arrhythmias remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality, including sudden cardiac death. Long QT and Brugada Syndromes (LQTS and BrS), in particular, contribute to these statistics and often go undetected until a catastrophic event occurs. Many of the cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel (NaV1.5) mutations underlying LQTS and BrS have been characterized biophysically. Although the defective channel properties account, in most cases, for the possibility of arrhythmogenesis, the events that trigger these pathophysiological behaviors remain unknown. Using a combination of experimental approaches to study ionic and gating currents, and computer modeling, we studied three NaV1.5 mutations and found that one associated with LQT3 and BrS, E1784K, is acutely sensitive to changes in extracellular pH, temperature, and cytosolic calcium.