Background: Among his major cardiac electrophysiological contributions, Miles Vaughan
Williams (1918–2016) provided a classification of antiarrhythmic drugs that remains central …

Clinical and epidemiological studies demonstrate that short-and long-term exposure to air
pollution increases mortality due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Given the …

Abstract Plakophilin-2 (PKP2) is a component of the desmosome and known for its role in
cell–cell adhesion. Mutations in human PKP2 associate with a life-threatening …

The heart is vital for biological function in almost all chordates, including humans. It beats
continually throughout our life, supplying the body with oxygen and nutrients while removing …

Context: Vitamin D has been shown to influence cardiac contractility and myocardial calcium
homeostasis. Objectives: We aimed to elucidate whether insufficient vitamin D status is …

Deviations in basal Ca 2+ levels interfere with receptor-mediated Ca 2+ signaling as well as
endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and mitochondrial function. While defective basal Ca 2+ …

The calcium ion (Ca2+) is the simplest and most versatile intracellular messenger known.
The discovery of Ca2+ sparks and a related family of elementary Ca2+ signaling events has …

Positive and negative feedback loops are common regulatory elements in biological
signaling systems. We discuss core feedback motifs that have distinct roles in shaping …

Ventricular arrhythmias are a major cause of sudden death, which accounts for
approximately half of cardiac mortality. The His–Purkinje system is composed of specialized …

T-tubular invaginations of the sarcolemma of ventricular cardiomyocytes contain junctional
structures functionally coupling L-type calcium channels to the sarcoplasmic reticulum …