Full Description
Since Paul Cranefield published his monograph, The Conduction of the Cardiac Impulse, in 1975, much has been learned about the role of the slow inward current in cardiac electrophysiology. Because of this expanse in know ledge, both basic and clinical, it appeared reasonable to review in a mono graph once again what was known. When Martinus Nijhoff first approached us to undertake the task of updating this information, we were initially reluctant for several reasons. First, we did not feel that the subject could be adequately and thoroughly reviewed, from the cell to the bedside, by a single person. Second, time constraints on all of us precluded even attempting such a task. However, we were encouraged by several of our friends (' egged on' one might even say, since they wished the job done but did not want to do it themselves!) who promised faithfully to contribute chapters on time if we accepted the task. So we did, and most of them did also.
Contents
I. Overview.- 1. Historical perspective.- 2. The slow response and cardiac arrhythmias.- II. Basic Properties of the Slow Inward Current.- 3. Voltage clamp studies of the slow inward current.- 4. The slow inward current: non-voltage-clamp studies.- 5. The role of cyclic AMP in regulation of the slow inward current.- 6. The role of the slow inward current in impulse formation.- 7. Slow conduction in the heart.- 8. Slow inward current and contraction.- 9. Effects of neurotransmitters on the slow inward current.- 10. Changes in membrane electrical properties during development of the heart.- III. Models of the Slow Inward Current.- 11. The slow inward current of the rabbit sino-atrial nodal cells.- 12. The slow inward current and AV nodal propagation.- 13. The slow response in human atrium.- 14. The slow response in human ventricle.- 15. The role of electrotonus in slow potential development and conduction in canine Purkinje tissue.- 16. Voltage modulation of automaticity in cardiac Purkinje fibers.- 17. Depolarization-induced automaticity in atrial and ventricular myocardial fibers.- IV. Role of the Slow Inward Current in the Genesis of Cardiac Arrhythmias.- 18. Role of the slow current in the generation of arrhythmias in ischemic myocardium.- 19. Digitalis-induced delayed afterdepolarizations.- 20. Triggered activity.- 21. Effect of antiarrhythmic drugs on the slow inward current system.- V. Clinical Implications.- 22. The role of the slow inward current in the genesis and maintenance of supraventricular tachyarrhythmias in man.- 23. The role of the slow inward current in the genesis of ventricular tachyarrhythmias in man.
