Bullfrog heart model reproducing electrocardiographic changes of lateral wall myocardial infarction.

Abstract

In previous experiments using bullfrog hearts, we successfully replicated both the elevation and reciprocal depression of the ST segment observed in electrocardiograms of human ischemic heart disease. In this study, we induced subepicardial burn injuries in the lateral part of the frog heart ventricle, which allowed us to mimic typical electrocardiographic changes associated with human lateral wall myocardial infarction. These changes included a marked ST segment elevation in the high lateral limb leads (I, augmented Voltage Left; aVL) and reciprocal ST segment depression in the opposite limb leads (III, augmented Voltage Foot; aVF). We surmise that the electrical disparity between injured and intact cardiomyocytes generates currents of injury, leading to the observed ST segment alterations.