A novel approach to identifying antiarrhythmic drug targets.
Sudden cardiac death, secondary to ventricular fibrillation (VF), remains the leading cause of death in the USA. Recent experimental and theoretical studies suggest that VF could be caused by spiral wave re-entry. The initiation and subsequent break-up of spiral waves has been linked to electrical alternans, a phenomenon produced in cardiac tissue that has a steeply sloped restitution relation. Agents that reduce the slope of the restitution relation have been shown to suppress alternans and, presumably by that mechanism, terminate VF. These results suggest that electrical restitution could be a promising new target for antiarrhythmic therapies.
Gilmour
Robert F
RF
Dept of Biomedical Sciences, T7 012C VRT, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-6401, USA. rfg2@cornell.edu
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000819:agonists; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D015221:Potassium Channels