Effect of ovariectomy on intracellular Ca2+ regulation in guinea pig cardiomyocytes

Ovariectomized guinea pig cardiomyocytes have higher frequencies of Ca2+ waves, and isoprenaline-challenged cells display more early afterdepolarizations, delayed afterdepolarizations, and extra beats compared with sham myocytes. These alterations to Ca2+ regulation were not observed in myocytes from ovariectomized guinea pigs supplemented with 17β-estradiol, suggesting that ovarian hormone deficiency modifies cardiac Ca2+ regulation, potentially creating proarrhythmic substrates.