Cardiac transmembrane ion channels and action potentials: cellular physiology and arrhythmogenic behavior

Cardiac arrhythmias are among the leading causes of mortality. They often arise from alterations in electrophysiological properties cardiac cells and their underlying ionic mechanisms. It is therefore critical to further unravel pathophysiology basis human electrophysiology health disease. In first part this review, current knowledge on differences ion channel expression processes that determine morphology action potentials calcium dynamics cardiomyocytes different regions heart described. Then cellular mechanisms promoting congenital or acquired conditions function (electrical remodeling) discussed. The focus human-relevant findings obtained with clinical, experimental, computational studies, given interspecies make extrapolation animal experiments clinical settings difficult. Deepening understanding diverse will help developing novel effective antiarrhythmic strategies for specific subpopulations disease conditions.