Colchicine initiated before radiofrequency-induced injury attenuates left atrial inflammation, fibrosis, and susceptibility for atrial fibrillation.

Authors

Abir Attia, Charles-Alexandre LeBlanc, Ewen Le Quilliec, Feng Xiong, Martin G Sirois, Jean-François Tanguay, Jean-Claude Tardif, Martin Aguilar, Roddy Hiram

Published in

Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology. Sep 11, 2026. Epub Sep 11, 2026.

Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently diagnosed cardiac arrhythmia. Catheter ablation using radiofrequency cauterization (CA-RFC) performed in the left atrium (LA) aims to isolate electrical sources of AF. This intervention is accompanied by frequent AF recurrences affecting 10% of patients at 30 days and 50% at one-year post-procedure. It has been suggested that inflammation could contribute to AF-recurrence post-CA-RFC. Given its anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties, colchicine has been proposed as a potential treatment to prevent AF recurrence post-CA-RFC.
RFC can lead to atrial fibrosis, inflammation, and new onset AF, which may be mitigated by colchicine.
Male and female Wistar rats (225-275g) were divided into four groups: Sham or RFC, with or without colchicine (0.25 mg/kg/8h, intraperitoneally) starting 8 hours before surgery until D1 post-procedure. Sham animals underwent surgery without RFC. Electrophysiology and echocardiography assessments were performed on days 1 (D1) and 3 (D3) post-RFC.
Colchicine significantly lowered RFC-induced AF vulnerability, improved LA conduction velocity, reduced LA fibrosis, and attenuated LA inflammation post-procedure. Colchicine also prevented RFC-induced CD11c+ macrophages while promoting CD206+ recruitment in the LA.
Colchicine started before RFC may be an innovative strategy to prevent the development of LA arrhythmogenic substrate post-procedure.

PMID:
42722450
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 11 Sep 2026.

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