A novel mechanism for LQT3 with 2:1 block: a pore-lining mutation in Nav1.5 significantly affects voltage-dependence of activation

Effects of Mexiletine on a Race-specific Mutation in Nav1.5 Associated With Long QT Syndrome

The voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.5 plays an essential role in the generation and propagation of action potential in cardiomyocytes. Mutations in Nav1.5 have been associated with LQT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, and sudden arrhythmia death syndrome. Genetic studies showed that Nav1.5 mutations vary across race-ethnic groups. Here we investigated an Asian-specific mutation Nav1.5-P1090L associated with LQT syndrome. We found that Nav1.5-P1090L mutation perturbed the sodium channel function. It altered the gating process of the channel and exhibited an enhanced window current. Treatment with mexiletine reversed the depolarization shift of the steady-state inactivation produced by P1090L. Mexiletine also modified the recovery from steady-state inactivation and the development of inactivation of P1090L. It rescued the dysfunctional inactivation of P1090L and reduced the P1090L channel’s availability.

Peripartum management of patient with long QT3 after successful implantable cardioverter defibrillator device discharge resulting in device failure: a case report

Background

Long QT3 syndrome type 3 (LQT3) is a gain of function mutation of the SCN5A gene that is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. Long QT3 syndrome type 3 results in an increase in arrhythmic events during rest, sleep, and bradycardia by extending the QT interval and inducing Torsades de pointes and sudden cardiac death. Attempting to block the sodium channel with Class I anti-arrhythmics or blocking adrenergic tone with beta-blockers especially in women has shown to be beneficial. There have been few large-scale studies on treating patients with LQT3 due to its lethality and underreported number of cases. Specifically, the safety and efficacy of pharmacologic treatment in pregnant LQT3 patients are unknown.

Case summary

This case demonstrates the safe use of Mexiletine and Propranolol in a 3rd-trimester pregnant LQT3 patient after a presumed ventricular arrhythmia and device-lead electrical short from therapy rendered her implantable cardioverter defibrillator inoperable in a VVI mode (venticular demand pacing). With appropriate medications, the patient was safely monitored through the remainder of her pregnancy and safely delivered at 36 weeks of pregnancy a healthy baby girl. The daughter, heterozygous for LQT3, showed no evidence of intrauterine growth restriction or other side effects from the medications.

Discussion

There are many variants of the SCN5A gene mutations that can lead to different phenotypes and not all mutations are responsive to the same medications. In this case, Mexiletine and Propranolol, both of which have only recently shown to benefit certain variants or LQT3 respectively, were safely started during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy without harming the foetus.

Ranolazine as an Alternative Therapy to Flecainide for SCN5A V411M Long QT Syndrome Type 3 Patients

The prolongation of the QT interval represents the main feature of the long QT syndrome (LQTS), a life-threatening genetic disease. The heterozygous SCN5A V411M mutation of the human sodium channel leads to a LQTS type 3 with severe proarrhythmic effects due to an increase in the late component of the sodium current (INaL). The two sodium blockers flecainide and ranolazine are equally recommended by the current 2015 ESC guidelines to treat patients with LQTS type 3 and persistently prolonged QT intervals. However, awareness of pro-arrhythmic effects of flecainide in LQTS type 3 patients arose upon the study of the SCN5A E1784K mutation. Regarding SCN5A V411M individuals, flecainide showed good results albeit in a reduced number of patients and no evidence supporting the use of ranolazine has ever been released. Therefore, we ought to compare the effect of ranolazine and flecainide in a SCN5A V411M model using an in-silico modeling and simulation approach. We collected clinical data of four patients. Then, we fitted four Markovian models of the human sodium current (INa) to experimental and clinical data. Two of them correspond to the wild type and the heterozygous SCN5A V411M scenarios, and the other two mimic the effects of flecainide and ranolazine on INa. Next, we inserted them into three isolated cell action potential (AP) models for endocardial, midmyocardial and epicardial cells and in a one-dimensional tissue model. The SCN5A V411M mutation produced a 15.9% APD90 prolongation in the isolated endocardial cell model, which corresponded to a 14.3% of the QT interval prolongation in a one-dimensional strand model, in keeping with clinical observations. Although with different underlying mechanisms, flecainide and ranolazine partially countered this prolongation at the isolated endocardial model by reducing the APD90 by 8.7 and 4.3%, and the QT interval by 7.2 and 3.2%, respectively. While flecainide specifically targeted the mutation-induced increase in peak INaL, ranolazine reduced it during the entire AP. Our simulations also suggest that ranolazine could prevent early afterdepolarizations triggered by the SCN5A V411M mutation during bradycardia, as flecainide. We conclude that ranolazine could be used to treat SCN5A V411M patients, specifically when flecainide is contraindicated.

Specific Therapy Based on the Genotype in a Malignant Form of Long QT3, Carrying the V411M Mutation

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a cardiac channelopathy that leads to the prolongation of the QT interval. This prolongation can lead to ventricular tachyarrhythmia, syncope, and sudden cardiac death. There are various types of LQTS. Treatment of LQT1 and LQT2 is mainly based on antiadrenergic therapy. LQT3, on the other hand, is a result of a mutation of the SCN5A gene, which encodes the sodium channels. In this type, patients are sensitive to vagal stimuli and episodes tend to occur at rest. Sodium channel blocking compounds, such as ranolazine, mexiletine, and flecainide, have been found to be effective in selective mutations.In this case report, we report the case of a child with congenital LQT3 (V411M) who presented first with sudden cardiac death and three weeks later with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator storm. Knowing the specific mutation and understanding the mechanism at the molecular level through an in vitro study yielded a clinically meaningful result. The patient's arrhythmia burden was totally eliminated following successful treatment with flecainide.

The congenital long QT syndrome Type 3: An update

Congenital long QT syndrome type 3 (LQT3) is the third in frequency compared to the 15 forms known currently of congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS). Cardiac events are less frequent in LQT3 when compared with LQT1 and LQT2, but more likely to be lethal; the likelihood of dying during a cardiac event is 20% in families with an LQT3 mutation and 4% with either an LQT1 or an LQT2 mutation. LQT3 is consequence of mutation of gene SCN5A which codes for the Nav1.5 Na+ channel α-subunit and electrocardiographically characterized by a tendency to bradycardia related to age, prolonged QT/QTc interval (mean QTc value 478 ± 52 ms), accentuated QT dispersion consequence of prolonged ST segment, late onset of T wave and frequent prominent U wave because of longer repolarization of the M cell across left ventricular wall.

Dynamics of sodium current mediated early afterdepolarizations

Early afterdepolarizations (EADs) have been attributed to two primary mechanisms: 1) recovery from inactivation of the L-type calcium (Ca) channel and/or 2) spontaneous Ca release, which depolarizes the membrane potential through the electrogenic sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX). The sodium (Na) current (I_Na), especially the late component of the Na current, has been recognized as an important player to set up the conditions for EADs by reducing repolarization reserve and increasing intracellular Na concentration, which leads to Ca overload. However, I_Na itself has not been considered as a direct initiator of EADs. A recent experimental study by Horvath et al. has shown that the amplitude of the late component of the Na current is as large as potassium (K) and Ca currents (∼1 pA/pF). This result suggests that I_Na by itself can exceeds the sum of outward currents and depolarize the membrane potential. In this study, we show that I_Na can also directly initiate EADs. Mathematical analysis reveals a fundamental dynamical origin of EADs arising directly from the Na channel reactivation. This system has three fixed points. The dynamics of the I_Na mediated EAD oscillation is different from that of the membrane voltage oscillation of the pacemaker cell, which has only one fixed point.

Sodium channel biophysics, late sodium current and genetic arrhythmic syndromes

Arrhythmias arise from breakdown of orderly action potential (AP) activation, propagation and recovery driven by interactive opening and closing of successive voltage-gated ion channels, in which one or more Na⁺ current components play critical parts. Early peak, Na⁺ currents (I_Na) reflecting channel activation drive the AP upstroke central to cellular activation and its propagation. Sustained late Na⁺ currents (I_Na-L) include contributions from a component with a delayed inactivation timecourse influencing AP duration (APD) and refractoriness, potentially causing pro-arrhythmic phenotypes. The magnitude of I_Na-L can be analysed through overlaps or otherwise in the overall voltage dependences of the steady-state properties and kinetics of activation and inactivation of the Na⁺ conductance. This was useful in analysing repetitive firing associated with paramyotonia congenita in skeletal muscle. Similarly, genetic cardiac Na⁺ channel abnormalities increasing I_Na-L are implicated in triggering phenomena of automaticity, early and delayed afterdepolarisations and arrhythmic substrate. This review illustrates a wide range of situations that may accentuate I_Na-L. These include (1) overlaps between steady-state activation and inactivation increasing window current, (2) kinetic deficiencies in Na⁺ channel inactivation leading to bursting phenomena associated with repetitive channel openings and (3) non-equilibrium gating processes causing channel re-opening due to more rapid recoveries from inactivation. All these biophysical possibilities were identified in a selection of abnormal human SCN5A genotypes. The latter presented as a broad range of clinical arrhythmic phenotypes, for which effective therapeutic intervention would require specific identification and targeting of the diverse electrophysiological abnormalities underlying their increased I_Na-L.

Physiological and Pathophysiological Insights of Nav1.4 and Nav1.5 Comparison

Mutations in Nav1.4 and Nav1.5 α-subunits have been associated with muscular and cardiac channelopathies, respectively. Despite intense research on the structure and function of these channels, a lot of information is still missing to delineate the various physiological and pathophysiological processes underlying their activity at the molecular level. Nav1.4 and Nav1.5 sequences are similar, suggesting structural and functional homologies between the two orthologous channels. This also suggests that any characteristics described for one channel subunit may shed light on the properties of the counterpart channel subunit. In this review article, after a brief clinical description of the muscular and cardiac channelopathies related to Nav1.4 and Nav1.5 mutations, respectively, we compare the knowledge accumulated in different aspects of the expression and function of Nav1.4 and Nav1.5 α-subunits: the regulation of the two encoding genes (SCN4A and SCN5A), the associated/regulatory proteins and at last, the functional effect of the same missense mutations detected in Nav1.4 and Nav1.5. First, it appears that more is known on Nav1.5 expression and accessory proteins. Because of the high homologies of Nav1.5 binding sites and equivalent Nav1.4 sites, Nav1.5-related results may guide future investigations on Nav1.4. Second, the analysis of the same missense mutations in Nav1.4 and Nav1.5 revealed intriguing similarities regarding their effects on membrane excitability and alteration in channel biophysics. We believe that such comparison may bring new cues to the physiopathology of cardiac and muscular diseases.

The genetic basis for inherited forms of sinoatrial dysfunction and atrioventricular node dysfunction

The sinoatrial node (SAN) and the atrioventricular node (AVN) are the anatomical and functional regions of the heart which play critical roles in the generation and conduction of the electrical impulse. Their functions are ensured by peculiar structural cytological properties and specific collections of ion channels. Impairment of SAN and AVN activity is generally acquired,but in some cases familial inheritance has been established and therefore a genetic cause is involved. In recent years, combined efforts of clinical practice and experimental basic science studies have identified and characterized several causative gene mutations associated with the nodal syndromes. Channelopathies, i.e., diseases associated with defective ion channels, remain the major cause of genetically determined nodal arrhythmias; however, it is becoming increasingly evident that mutations in other classes of regulatory and structural proteins also have profound pathophysiological roles. In this review, we will present some aspects of the genetic identification of the molecular mechanism underlying both SAN and AVN dysfunctions with a particular focus on mutations of the Na, pacemaker (HCN), and Ca channels. Genetic defects in regulatory proteins and calcium-handling proteins will be also considered. In conclusion, the identification of the genetic defects associated with familial nodal dysfunction is an essential step for implementing an appropriate therapeutic treatment.

Electrophysiological and trafficking defects of the SCN5A T353I mutation in Brugada syndrome are rescued by alpha-allocryptopine

Brugada syndrome (BrS), which causes arrhythmias that lead to sudden cardiac death, is linked to loss-of-function mutations that affect sodium channels. Here, we investigate the rescue effect of alpha-allocryptopine (All) from Chinese herbal medicine in a T353I mutation of SCN5A, which combines trafficking abnormalities with Brugada syndrome. SCN5A-T353I expressed in HEK293 cells showed a small peak current (I(peak)) of only 59.6% of WT and an observably sustained current (I(sus)). We found that All strongly enhanced the I(peak) of the T353I channel by enhancing the plasma membrane (PM) expression of Nav1.5 and rescued defective trafficking after co-incubation with HEK293 cells that carry mutation channel 24 h. It is also beneficial to increase the I(peak) of the T353I mutation by All by prolonging the closed-state inactivation (CSI) process and shortening the recovery from inactivation of the T353I mutation. Interestingly, the I(sus) of T353I was significantly inhibited by All, which reduces the occurrence of LQT syndrome 3 (LQT3). We provide evidence that All can rescue the trafficking deficiencies and restore the cellular electrophysiological characteristics of SCN5A-T353I. This feature of All may benefit patients with the BrS-associated Nav1.5 channel and might have other potential therapeutic effects.

Molecular diagnosis of long QT syndrome at 10 days of life by rapid whole genome sequencing

BACKGROUND

The advent of clinical next generation sequencing is rapidly changing the landscape of rare disease medicine. Molecular diagnosis of long QT syndrome (LQTS) can affect clinical management, including risk stratification and selection of pharmacotherapy on the basis of the type of ion channel affected, but results from the current gene panel testing requires 4-16 weeks before return to clinicians.

OBJECTIVE

A term female infant presented with 2:1 atrioventricular block and ventricular arrhythmias consistent with perinatal LQTS, requiring aggressive treatment including epicardial pacemaker and cardioverter-defibrillator implantation and sympathectomy on day of life 2. We sought to provide a rapid molecular diagnosis for the optimization of treatment strategies.

METHODS

We performed Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments-certified rapid whole genome sequencing (WGS) with a speed-optimized bioinformatics platform to achieve molecular diagnosis at 10 days of life.

RESULTS

We detected a known pathogenic variant in KCNH2 that was demonstrated to be paternally inherited by follow-up genotyping. The unbiased assessment of the entire catalog of human genes provided by WGS revealed a maternally inherited variant of unknown significance in a novel gene.

CONCLUSION

Rapid clinical WGS provides faster and more comprehensive diagnostic information at 10 days of life than does standard gene panel testing. In selected clinical scenarios such as perinatal LQTS, rapid WGS can provide more timely and clinically actionable information than can a standard commercial test.

Cardiac sodium channel Nav1.5 mutations and cardiac arrhythmia

As a major cardiac voltage-gated sodium channel isoform in the heart, the Nav1.5 channel is essential for cardiac action potential initiation and subsequent propagation throughout the heart. Mutations of Nav1.5 have been linked to a variety of cardiac diseases such as long QT syndrome (LQTs), Brugada syndrome, cardiac conduction defect, atrial fibrillation, and dilated cardiomyopathy. The mutagenesis approach and heterologous expression systems are most frequently used to study the function of this channel. This review focuses primarily on recent findings of Nav1.5 mutations associated with type 3 long QT syndrome (LQT3) in particular. Understanding the functional changes of the Nav1.5 mutation may offer critical insight into the mechanism of long QT3 syndrome. In addition, this review provides the updated information on the current progress of using various experimental model systems to study primarily the long QT3 syndrome.