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Mechanisms of positive inotropy and arrhythmias in atrial myocytes

Reference	BBS/E/B/0000H182
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Martin Bootman
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Babraham Institute
Department	Babraham Institute Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	95,345
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	07/01/2000
End date	31/03/2012
Duration	147 months

Abstract

Under normal physiological conditions the contraction of each cardiac (heart) muscle cell is under the control of the electrical excitation wave sweeping across the entire heart. The electrical information, the action potential, is translated into a transient increase in calcium ion, Ca2+, concentration inside the cell, which evokes the mechanical activity of each individual cardiac myocyte (muscle cell). Calcium concentration in cells is tightly kept at very low levels with respect to the environment outside of the cell and the internal calcium stores. The change in membrane potential opens calcium channels (located on the cell membrane or on the membrane of a calcium store), allowing flux of Calcium into the cytoplasm. For ventricular myocytes (from the heart ventricles), calcium channels are found with regular spacing throughout the cells. However, it is not well known how atrial myocyte Ca2+ signals are spatially and temporally regulated.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Biochemistry & Cell Biology (BCB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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