Atrial sources of reactive oxygen species vary with the duration and substrate of atrial fibrillation: implications for the antiarrhythmic effect of statins.

BACKGROUND: An altered nitric oxide-redox balance has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Statins inhibit NOX2-NADPH oxidases and prevent postoperative AF but are less effective in AF secondary prevention; the mechanisms underlying these findings are poorly understood. M...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Reilly, SN, Jayaram, R, Nahar, K, Antoniades, C, Verheule, S, Channon, K, Alp, N, Schotten, U, Casadei, B
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2011
_version_ 1797079642860945408
author Reilly, SN
Jayaram, R
Nahar, K
Antoniades, C
Verheule, S
Channon, K
Alp, N
Schotten, U
Casadei, B
author_facet Reilly, SN
Jayaram, R
Nahar, K
Antoniades, C
Verheule, S
Channon, K
Alp, N
Schotten, U
Casadei, B
author_sort Reilly, SN
collection OXFORD
description BACKGROUND: An altered nitric oxide-redox balance has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Statins inhibit NOX2-NADPH oxidases and prevent postoperative AF but are less effective in AF secondary prevention; the mechanisms underlying these findings are poorly understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: By using goat models of pacing-induced AF or of atrial structural remodeling secondary to atrioventricular block and right atrial samples from 130 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, we found that the mechanisms responsible for the NO-redox imbalance differ between atria and with the duration and substrate of AF. Rac1 and NADPH oxidase activity and the protein level of NOX2 and p22phox were significantly increased in the left atrium of goats after 2 weeks of AF and in patients who developed postoperative AF in the absence of differences in leukocytes infiltration. Conversely, in the presence of longstanding AF or atrioventricular block, uncoupled nitric oxide synthase activity (secondary to reduced BH4 content and/or increased arginase activity) and mitochondrial oxidases accounted for the biatrial increase in reactive oxygen species. Atorvastatin caused a mevalonate-reversible inhibition of Rac1 and NOX2-NADPH oxidase activity in right atrial samples from patients who developed postoperative AF, but it did not affect reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide synthase uncoupling, or BH4 in patients with permanent AF. CONCLUSIONS: Upregulation of atrial NADPH oxidases is an early but transient event in the natural history of AF. Changes in the sources of reactive oxygen species with atrial remodeling may explain why statins are effective in the primary prevention of AF but not in its management.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T00:48:50Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:85a5596f-eaef-4a0f-a7a2-66c4ff753d40
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T00:48:50Z
publishDate 2011
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:85a5596f-eaef-4a0f-a7a2-66c4ff753d402022-03-26T21:58:59ZAtrial sources of reactive oxygen species vary with the duration and substrate of atrial fibrillation: implications for the antiarrhythmic effect of statins.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:85a5596f-eaef-4a0f-a7a2-66c4ff753d40EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2011Reilly, SNJayaram, RNahar, KAntoniades, CVerheule, SChannon, KAlp, NSchotten, UCasadei, BBACKGROUND: An altered nitric oxide-redox balance has been implicated in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Statins inhibit NOX2-NADPH oxidases and prevent postoperative AF but are less effective in AF secondary prevention; the mechanisms underlying these findings are poorly understood. METHODS AND RESULTS: By using goat models of pacing-induced AF or of atrial structural remodeling secondary to atrioventricular block and right atrial samples from 130 patients undergoing cardiac surgery, we found that the mechanisms responsible for the NO-redox imbalance differ between atria and with the duration and substrate of AF. Rac1 and NADPH oxidase activity and the protein level of NOX2 and p22phox were significantly increased in the left atrium of goats after 2 weeks of AF and in patients who developed postoperative AF in the absence of differences in leukocytes infiltration. Conversely, in the presence of longstanding AF or atrioventricular block, uncoupled nitric oxide synthase activity (secondary to reduced BH4 content and/or increased arginase activity) and mitochondrial oxidases accounted for the biatrial increase in reactive oxygen species. Atorvastatin caused a mevalonate-reversible inhibition of Rac1 and NOX2-NADPH oxidase activity in right atrial samples from patients who developed postoperative AF, but it did not affect reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide synthase uncoupling, or BH4 in patients with permanent AF. CONCLUSIONS: Upregulation of atrial NADPH oxidases is an early but transient event in the natural history of AF. Changes in the sources of reactive oxygen species with atrial remodeling may explain why statins are effective in the primary prevention of AF but not in its management.
spellingShingle Reilly, SN
Jayaram, R
Nahar, K
Antoniades, C
Verheule, S
Channon, K
Alp, N
Schotten, U
Casadei, B
Atrial sources of reactive oxygen species vary with the duration and substrate of atrial fibrillation: implications for the antiarrhythmic effect of statins.
title Atrial sources of reactive oxygen species vary with the duration and substrate of atrial fibrillation: implications for the antiarrhythmic effect of statins.
title_full Atrial sources of reactive oxygen species vary with the duration and substrate of atrial fibrillation: implications for the antiarrhythmic effect of statins.
title_fullStr Atrial sources of reactive oxygen species vary with the duration and substrate of atrial fibrillation: implications for the antiarrhythmic effect of statins.
title_full_unstemmed Atrial sources of reactive oxygen species vary with the duration and substrate of atrial fibrillation: implications for the antiarrhythmic effect of statins.
title_short Atrial sources of reactive oxygen species vary with the duration and substrate of atrial fibrillation: implications for the antiarrhythmic effect of statins.
title_sort atrial sources of reactive oxygen species vary with the duration and substrate of atrial fibrillation implications for the antiarrhythmic effect of statins
work_keys_str_mv AT reillysn atrialsourcesofreactiveoxygenspeciesvarywiththedurationandsubstrateofatrialfibrillationimplicationsfortheantiarrhythmiceffectofstatins
AT jayaramr atrialsourcesofreactiveoxygenspeciesvarywiththedurationandsubstrateofatrialfibrillationimplicationsfortheantiarrhythmiceffectofstatins
AT nahark atrialsourcesofreactiveoxygenspeciesvarywiththedurationandsubstrateofatrialfibrillationimplicationsfortheantiarrhythmiceffectofstatins
AT antoniadesc atrialsourcesofreactiveoxygenspeciesvarywiththedurationandsubstrateofatrialfibrillationimplicationsfortheantiarrhythmiceffectofstatins
AT verheules atrialsourcesofreactiveoxygenspeciesvarywiththedurationandsubstrateofatrialfibrillationimplicationsfortheantiarrhythmiceffectofstatins
AT channonk atrialsourcesofreactiveoxygenspeciesvarywiththedurationandsubstrateofatrialfibrillationimplicationsfortheantiarrhythmiceffectofstatins
AT alpn atrialsourcesofreactiveoxygenspeciesvarywiththedurationandsubstrateofatrialfibrillationimplicationsfortheantiarrhythmiceffectofstatins
AT schottenu atrialsourcesofreactiveoxygenspeciesvarywiththedurationandsubstrateofatrialfibrillationimplicationsfortheantiarrhythmiceffectofstatins
AT casadeib atrialsourcesofreactiveoxygenspeciesvarywiththedurationandsubstrateofatrialfibrillationimplicationsfortheantiarrhythmiceffectofstatins