Adrenaline and atrial fibrillation

Adrenoceptor-subtype antagonism profiles with anti-arrhythmic potential in human atrial myocytes

Dr Anthony Workman and his team at the University of Glasgow are studying atrial fibrillation - or AF - a common abnormal heart rhythm where the heart’s upper chambers, the atria, beat irregularly. People with atrial fibrillation are more likely to have a stroke. Adrenaline, a hormone which is part of the ‘fight-or-flight’ response, can cause AF if levels are abnormally high in the atria of the heart, such as in heart failure. Adrenaline attaches to and activates different types of receptor proteins called adrenoceptors on the surface of cells. Activating these receptors may disturb electrical currents and calcium movements in atrial cells. But we don’t yet understand which type of adrenoceptor causes which type of disturbance. In this project, Dr Workman will study single heart cells taken from the atria of patients undergoing cardiac surgery. He will identify which types of adrenoceptor can be blocked, either alone or together, to stop the spontaneous electrical activations or calcium movements that may lead to the extra beats during AF. This work will improve our understanding of how adrenaline can cause AF, and could lead to more effective adrenoreceptor blockers for treating atrial fibrillation.