Cardiac contractility is regulated by changes in intracellular Ca concentration ([Ca2+] i).
Normal function requires that [Ca2+] i be sufficiently high in systole and low in diastole …

The Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, an ion transport protein, is expressed in the plasma membrane
(PM) of virtually all animal cells. It extrudes Ca2+ in parallel with the PM ATP-driven Ca2+ …

Spontaneous local increases in the concentration of intracellular calcium, called" calcium
sparks," were detected in quiescent rat heart cells with a laser scanning confocal …

How is the heartbeat generated? What controls the strength of contraction of heart muscle?
What are the links between cardiac structure and function? How does our understanding of …

Calcium ions are ubiquitous and versatile signaling molecules, capable of decoding a
variety of extracellular stimuli (hormones, neurotransmitters, growth factors, etc.) into …

The calcium ion (Ca2+) is the simplest and most versatile intracellular messenger known.
The discovery of Ca2+ sparks and a related family of elementary Ca2+ signaling events has …

Normal cardiac function requires that intracellular Ca2+ concentration be reduced to low
levels in diastole so that the ventricle can relax and refill with blood. Heart failure is often …

It has been known for over 100 years that acidosis decreases the contractility of cardiac
muscle. However, the mechanisms underlying this decrease are complicated because …

Twelve consecutive patients who developed torsade de pointes (polymorphous ventricular
tachycardia with marked QT prolongation, TdP) over a 4 year period were treated with …

Lidocaine block of cardiac sodium channels was studied in voltage-clamped rabbit purkinje
fibers at drug concentrations ranging from 1 mM down to effective antiarrhythmic doses (5 …