A novel computational sheep atria model for the study of atrial fibrillation

Sheep are often used as animal models for experimental studies into the underlying mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmias. Previous studies have shown that biophysically detailed computer models of the heart provide a powerful alternative to experimental animal models for underpinning such mechanisms. In this study, we have developed a family of mathematical models for the electrical action potentials of various sheep atrial cell types. The developed cell models were then incorporated into a three-dimensional anatomical model of the sheep atria, which was recently reconstructed and segmented based on anatomical features within different regions. This created a novel biophysically detailed computational model of the three-dimensional sheep atria. Using the model, we then investigated the mechanisms by which paroxysmal rapid focal activity in the pulmonary veins can transit to sustained atrial fibrillation. It was found that the anisotropic property of the atria arising from the fibre structure plays an important role in facilitating the development of fibrillatory atrial excitation waves, and the electrical heterogeneity plays an important role in its initiation.