title: Signal transduction systems and atrial fibrillation.
abstract: Cell communication, an essential component of integrated physiological function in multicellular organisms, is mediated largely through informational molecules, such as hormones and neurotransmitters. After binding to specific receptors, these first messengers activate intracellular signaling cascades and, thereby, translate extracellular messenger levels into intracellular events. Atrial fibrillation is associated with significant electrophysiological and structural alterations of atrial tissue. Most of these changes seem to be related to activation of signal transduction systems at the molecular atrial level. This review will describe the role and regulation of different signal transduction systems in fibrillating atria.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Magdeburg, Leipzigerstr. 44, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany. andreas.goette@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Goette
authors.forename: Uwe
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lendeckel
authors.forename: Helmut U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000502:physiology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018160:Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear