Lack of electrical interaction between proximal bundle branches and subjacent muscle.

Microelectrode techniques were used to assess the importance of subthreshold electrotonic interactions between the canine proximal bundle branches and adjacent septal myocardium, and vice versa. Bundle branch action potential duration, maximal rising velocity of phase O, current threshold requirements for all-or-none depolarization, transmembrane voltage, and spontaneous frequency were not altered by adjacent septal muscle activation. Activation of the proximal bundle branches did not change the transmembrane voltage of immediately subjacent muscle cells; likewise, all-or-none activation of ventricular septal muscle did not effect a voltage change in the overlying proximal bundle branches. We conclude that a high ohmic resistance barrier between proximal bundle branch and subjacent muscle precludes significant electrotonic interactions between these neighboring structures.