Cardiac Pacemaker (If) Current:Physiological and Pharmacological Properties

Authors

  • Dario DiFrancesco

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2015/hc.v1i1%20sup.78

Keywords:

cardiac pacemaker, Sinus node, pacemaker current, ivabradine

Abstract

Mammalian sinoatrial node (SAN) cells, the natural pacemaker cells of the heart, have an action potential characterized by the presence of a special phase, the slow diastolic (pacemaker) depolarization (phase 4), which drives pacemaker activity and has therefore attracted the interest of generations of cardiac physiologists. What is the basis of the pacemaker depolarization? Here the features of the ???funny?? (I) current of pacemaker cells and its involvement in the generation and autonomic regulation of heart rate are briefly addressed. I also address the involvement of If in the pharmacological control of cardiac chronotropism, and how defective ???funny?? channels can be responsible for inherited heart rhythm disturbances.

Downloads

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 sup (2006)

Section

Cardiology Update 2006

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

a. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

b. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

c. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).