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Pacemaker Current and Automatic Rhythms: Toward a Molecular Understanding

  • Chapter
Basis and Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmias

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 171))

Abstract

The ionic basis of automaticity in the sinoatrial node and His-Purkinje system, the primary and secondary cardiac pacemaking regions, is discussed. Consideration is given to potential targets for pharmacologic or genetic therapies of rhythm disorders. An ideal target would be an ion channel that functions only during diastole, so that action potential repolarization is not affected, and one that exhibits regional differences in expression and/or function so that the primary and secondary pacemakers can be selectively targeted. The so-called pacemaker current, I f, generated by the HCN gene family, best fits these criteria. The biophysical and molecular characteristics of this current are reviewed, and progress to date in developing selective pharmacologic agents targeting I f and in using gene and cell-based therapies to modulate the current are reviewed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Stony Brook University, Room 150 Basic Science Tower, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-8661, USA

    I.S. Cohen

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Columbia University, 630W. 168th St., Room PH7W-318, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    R.B. Robinson

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Cohen, I., Robinson, R. (2006). Pacemaker Current and Automatic Rhythms: Toward a Molecular Understanding. In: Basis and Treatment of Cardiac Arrhythmias. Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 171. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-29715-4_2

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