Small and intermediate calcium-activated potassium channels play a significant functional role in cardiac electrophysiology and represent potential therapeutic targets for arrhythmias and heart failure.
Calcium-activated potassium channels are a heterogeneous family of channels that, despite their different biophysical characteristics, structures, and pharmacological signatures, play a role of transducer between the ubiquitous intracellular calcium signaling and the electric variations of the membrane. Although this family of channels was extensively described in various excitable and non-excitable tissues, an increasing amount of evidences shows their functional role in the heart. This review aims to focus on the physiological role and the contribution of the small and intermediate calcium-activated potassium channels in cardiac pathologies.
David Weisbrod (Mon,) conducted a review in Cardiovascular Diseases (Arrhythmia, Atrial Fibrillation, Heart Failure). Small and intermediate calcium-activated potassium channels (SKCa/IKCa) modulation was evaluated. Small and intermediate calcium-activated potassium channels play a significant functional role in cardiac electrophysiology and represent potential therapeutic targets for arrhythmias and heart failure.