PaceLab - UNIMI

@UCcKG_ivSCz0oI4KMhsKONzA - 23 subscribers

The laboratory of Molecular Physiology and Neurobiology investigates the properties of cardiac ion channels. Our main project concerns the pacemaker ("funny") If current, first described in the pacemaker cells of the sinoatrial node (SAN) (Brown, DiFrancesco & Noble, 1979, Nature 280, 235) and later characterized in cardiac myocytes and neurons. Cardiac rhythmic activity is generated by "pacemaker" cells, which in mammals are located in the SAN. Action potentials of SAN cells have a special phase, called diastolic (or pacemaker) depolarization: at the end of an action potential, the pacemaker depolarization slowly moves the membrane voltage up to threshold for firing of a new action potential, thus generating repetitive activity. The mechanism responsible for initiation of the process of pacemaker depolarization is the activation during diastole of the pacemaker If current.