title: [Effects of adenosine on the heart--therapeutic and diagnostic possibilities].
abstract: Adenosine is a substance with many different actions on the heart. The most important effects is its action on the conduction system, causing a marked prolongation of atrioventricular conduction time and atrioventricular refractoriness. Since the half life of adenosine is only a few seconds it is a very safe antiarrhythmic drug for the treatment of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias caused by a reentry mechanism via the atrioventricular node. Adenosine is also a potent coronary vasodilator. This effect enables adenosine to be used diagnostically for stress echocardiography and as a pharmacological stress test for thallium-201 single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging. Adenosine also protects myocardial cells under conditions of raised oxygen requirement of the heart or during ischemia. In addition to assessing the importance of the effect, the underlying mechanism requires further investigation. The manifold actions of adenosine on the heart have led to growing scientific interest in this substance, especially in the field of antiarrhythmic therapy, where adenosine represents a new generation of drugs.
authors.affiliation: Arbeitsgruppe für Internistische Pharmakotherapie, Medizinische Universitätsklinik Graz.
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stark
mesh_terms: D000241:Adenosine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D006801:Humans; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000241:Adenosine
vernacular_title: Adenosinwirkungen am Herzen--therapeutische und diagnostische Möglichkeiten.