title: Electropharmacological effects of antiarrhythmic drugs on atrial fibrillation termination. Part II: New insights into the electrophysiological mechanisms of atrial fibrillation termination.
abstract: Antiarrhythmic drugs have been largely used to convert atrial fibrillation to sinus rhythm. Classes Ia, Ic and III antiarrhythmic agents are all known to be effective. Nevertheless, the electrophysiological properties of such agents even of the same class are very different. The mechanisms of the pharmacological termination of atrial fibrillation is an interesting issue that has not been so extensively studied yet. In this review we try to summarize the principal concepts about the electrophysiological substrate of atrial fibrillation and to give a unified and modern overview of the issue of the mechanisms of the pharmacological termination of the arrhythmia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Diseases, San Filippo Neri Hospital, Rome, Italy. leonardo.calo@tin.it
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Calò
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sciarra
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lamberti
authors.forename: Maria Luisa
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Loricchio
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Leopoldo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bianconi
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pandozi
authors.forename: Fiorenzo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gaita
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santini
mesh_terms: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016275:Atrial Function / Q000187:drug effects; D018450:Disease Progression; D022062:Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents