CONDUCTIVE BIOMATERIAL ENHANCED ELECTRICAL PROPAGATION OF LEFT VENTRICULAR SCAR TO ATTENUATE VENTRICULAR ARRHYTHMIA

After an MI, cardiomyocyte death results in a non-contractile fibrotic scar and altered electrical conduction including delayed impulse propagation across the scar region, which may contribute to ventricular dysfunction and/or arrhythmias. Hydrogels such as chitosan have been used clinically to stabilize the left ventricular free wall and prevent dilation. We chemically modified chitosan with the charge-carrying conductive polymer, polypyrrole (PPy), yielding a biomaterial with eight times greater electrical conductivity than chitosan alone. In the current study, we investigated the capability of chitosan-PPy to alter the propagation of electrical impulses and enhance synchronous contraction of the cardiac regions after MI.