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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2010 Feb 1.
Published in final edited form as: Heart Rhythm. 2008 Nov 8;6(2):251–259. doi: 10.1016/j.hrthm.2008.11.008

Figure 4. Slower calcium reuptake kinetics in HF predicts susceptibility to action potential alternans.

Figure 4

Panel A. Representative calcium transients from normal and HF hearts from alternans resistant and susceptible cells are shown. Tau (τ) , the time constant of decay of the calcium transient, is slower in alternans susceptible cells in both normal and HF hearts. Panel B. Summary data of τ in alternans resistant (R, gray bars) and alternans susceptible (S, black bars) in both HF (right) and normal (left) hearts at a baseline pacing HR of 100 bpm. Importantly, τ is slowest in the most alternans susceptible HF cells, suggesting that HF-induced slowing of calcium reuptake promotes alternans. Similar results were also observed at a baseline pacing HR of 30 bpm (data not shown).