Navigational error in the heart leads to premature ventricular excitation

作者:Akazawa Hiroshi; Komuro Issei*
来源:Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2011, 121(2): 513-516.
DOI:10.1172/JCI46038

摘要

In the normal heart, an insulating barrier separates the atria and ventricles. The only way in which electrical impulses can cross this barrier is via the atrioventricular (AV) node, which delays impulse conduction to ensure the forward flow of the blood. However, in some individuals, additional muscular bundles (accessory pathways) allow rapid conduction of electrical impulses from the atria to the ventricles, resulting in premature ventricular excitation and contraction. In this issue of the JCI, two independent research groups demonstrate that erroneous development of the embryonic AV canal, which performs a similar function to that of the adult AV node, is a novel mechanism by which accessory pathways can form.

  • 出版日期2011-2