Quantification of the modifications in the dominant frequency of ventricular fibrillation under conditions of ischemia and reperfusion: an experimental study

The characteristics of ventricular fibrillatory signals vary as a function of the time elapsed from the onset of arrhythmia and the maneuvers used to maintain coronary perfusion. The dominant frequency (FrD) of the power spectrum of ventricular fibrillation (VF) is known to decrease after interrupting coronary perfusion, though the corresponding recovery process upon reestablishing coronary flow has not been quantified to date. With the aim of investigating the recovery of the FrD during reperfusion after a brief ischemic period, 11 isolated and perfused rabbit heart preparations were used to analyze the signals obtained with three unipolar epicardial electrodes (E1-E3) and a bipolar electrode immersed in the thermostatized organ bath (E4), following the electrical induction of VF. Recordings were made under conditions of maintained coronary perfusion (5 min), upon interrupting perfusion (15 min), and after reperfusion (5 min). FrD was determined using Welch's method. The variations in FrD were quantified during both ischemia and reperfusion, based on an exponential model deltaFrD = A exp (-t/C). During ischemia deltaFrD is the difference between FrD and the minimum value, while t is the time elapsed from the interruption of coronary perfusion. During reperfusion deltaFrD is the difference between the maximum value and FrD, while t is the time elapsed from the restoration of perfusion. A is one of the constants of the model, and C is the time constant. FrD exhibited respective initial values of 16.20 +/- 1.67, 16.03 +/- 1.38, and 16.03 +/- 1.80 Hz in the epicardial leads, and 15.09 +/- 1.07 Hz in the bipolar lead within the bath. No significant variations were observed during maintained coronary perfusion. The fit of the FrD variations to the model during ischemia and reperfusion proved significant in nine experiments. The mean time constants C obtained on fitting to the model during ischemia were as follows: E1 = 294.4 +/- 75.6, E2 = 225.7 +/- 48.5, E3 = 327.4 +/- 79.7, and E4 = 298.7 +/- 43.9 seconds. The mean values of C obtained during reperfusion, and the significance of the differences with respect to the ischemic period were: E1 = 57.5 +/- 8.4 (P < 0.01), E2 = 64.5 +/- 11.2 (P < 0.01), E3 = 80.7 +/- 13.3 (P < 0.01), and E4 = 74.9 +/- 13.6 (P < 0.0001). The time course variations of the FrD of the VF power spectrum fit an exponential model during ischemia and reperfusion. The time constants of the model during reperfusion after a brief ischemic period are significantly shorter than those obtained during ischemia.