Biology of the Sinus Node and its Disease

The sinoatrial node (SAN) is the normal pacemaker of the heart and SAN dysfunction (SND) is common, but until recently the pathophysiology was incompletely understood. It was usually attributed to idiopathic age-related fibrosis and cell atrophy or ischaemia. It is now evident that changes in the el...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arrhythmia & electrophysiology review 2015-05, Vol.4 (1), p.28-34
Main Authors: Choudhury, Moinuddin, Boyett, Mark R, Morris, Gwilym M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Arrhythmia Mechanisms
Cardiac arrhythmia
Cardiomyocytes
Gene expression
Heart rate
Pacemakers
Pathophysiology
Sinuses
Transcription factors
Transgenic animals
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Description
Summary:The sinoatrial node (SAN) is the normal pacemaker of the heart and SAN dysfunction (SND) is common, but until recently the pathophysiology was incompletely understood. It was usually attributed to idiopathic age-related fibrosis and cell atrophy or ischaemia. It is now evident that changes in the electrophysiology of the SAN, known as electrical remodelling, is an important process that has been demonstrated in SND associated with heart failure, ageing, diabetes, atrial fibrillation and endurance exercise. Furthermore, familial SND has been identified and mutations have been characterised in key pacemaker genes of the SAN. This review summarises the current evidence regarding SAN function and the pathophysiology of SND.
ISSN:2050-3369
2050-3377
2050-3377
DOI:10.15420/aer.2015.4.1.28