Journal
ACTA PHYSIOLOGICA
Volume 198, Issue -, Pages 1-48Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.2009.02072.x
Keywords
arrhythmia; early afterdepolarization; fibrillation; pharmacological treatment; repolarization reserve; triggered activity
Categories
Funding
- National Danish Research Council
- Danish National Research Foundation Center for Cardiac Arrhythmia
- Novo Nordisk Foundation
- Aase and Ejnar Danielsen Foundation
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The cardiac action potential can be divided into five distinct phases designated phases 0-4. The exact shape of the action potential comes about primarily as an orchestrated function of ion channels. The present review will give an overview of ion channels involved in generating the cardiac action potential with special emphasis on potassium channels involved in phase 3 repolarization. In humans, these channels are primarily K(v)11.1 (hERG1), K(v)7.1 (KCNQ1) and K(ir)2.1 (KCNJ2) being the responsible alpha-subunits for conducting I-Kr, I-Ks and I-K1. An account will be given about molecular components, biophysical properties, regulation, interaction with other proteins and involvement in diseases. Both loss and gain of function of these currents are associated with different arrhythmogenic diseases. The second part of this review will therefore elucidate arrhythmias and subsequently focus on newly developed chemical entities having the ability to increase the activity of I-Kr, I-Ks and I-K1. An evaluation will be given addressing the possibility that this novel class of compounds have the ability to constitute a new anti-arrhythmic principle. Experimental evidence from in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo settings will be included. Furthermore, conceptual differences between the short QT syndrome and I-Kr activation will be accounted for.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available