Research progress on heart rhythm-regulating genes and targets for Chinese materia medica with anti-arrhythmic function / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Cardiac arrhythmia is one of the most common types of cardiovascular diseases that seriously threaten human health. Presently, ion channel blockers are the main options for the treatment of cardiac arrhythmia. However, limited effectiveness and significant adverse effects severely tarnish their clinical application. Therefore, new anti-arrhythmic strategies and agents are urgently in demand. Post-genome era has paved the way for the accelerated discovery of novel gene mutations, gene polymorphisms and the change of gene expression and epigenetics that are attributable to cardiac arrhythmia. Chinese materia medica (CMM), known for its greater efficacy and less side effects, is a promising resource for novel anti-arrhythmic agents. This review summarizes cardiac arrhythmia-related genes and their pathological mechanisms. CMM formulae and derived compounds as potential multi-targeting anti-cardiac arrhythmia drugs are also discussed.