Slow excitation waves and mechanisms of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia in the experimental model: Isolated walls of rabbit and ground squirrel right ventricle

The mechanism of polymorphic disturbances of the heart rhythm is studied on an experimental model, isolated ventricular preparations of ground squirre l and rabbit. Polymorphic arrhythmias are identified from habitus of the is olated preparation pseudoECGs mathematically derived from electrograms regi stered simultaneously at 32 endocardial and 32 epicardial points. The same electrograms allow one to visualize the excitation wave propagation along e ach of the preparation surfaces. The comparison of excitation wave pictures and corresponding pseudoECGs enabled us to reveal the conditions necessary and sufficient for polymorphism in heart rhythm disturbances. Polymorphic arrhythmias are due to changes in wave pictures in the regions of retarded excitation propagation.