Abstract
Arrhythmia is a disease that is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the heart rate or rhythm. It is the major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although several antiarrhythmic drugs have been used in clinic for decades, their application is often limited by their adverse effects. As a result, natural drugs, which have fewer side effects, are now being used to treat arrhythmias. We searched for all articles on the role of biologically active ingredients from natural drug treatments for arrhythmias in different mechanisms in PubMed. This study reviews 19 natural drug therapies, with 18 active ingredient therapies, such as alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, quinones, and terpenes, and two kinds of traditional Chinese medicine compound (Wenxin-Keli and Shensongyangxin), all of which have been studied and reported as having antiarrhythmic effects. The primary focus is the proposed antiarrhythmic mechanism of each natural drug agent. Conclusion. We stress persistent vigilance on the part of the provider in discussing the use of natural drug agents to provide a solid theoretical foundation for further research on antiarrhythmia drugs.
Highlights
Cardiac arrhythmia is a disease that is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the heart rate or rhythm
It has been shown that 88% of sudden cardiac deaths are caused by cardiac arrhythmia, which results in the development of serious complications in the heart and other organ diseases [1]
Tanshinone IIA restored the diminished IK1 current density and Kir2.1 protein after MI in rat ventricular myocytes [49]. These results indicate that Tanshinone IIA potently and enhances IKs by affecting the channel kinetics, and its effect is independent of protein kinase A (PKA) activation, protein kinase G (PKG) activation, and channel nitrosylation
Summary
Cardiac arrhythmia is a disease that is caused by abnormal electrical activity in the heart rate or rhythm. The conventional treatments for acute arrhythmia are single action treatments, and limited and prone to side effects. Previous clinical and experimental investigations have indicated that natural drugs can inhibit the occurrence of arrhythmia to some extent [4]. These drugs can block cardiac ion channels and regulate the cardiac autonomic nerve, quickening the treatment of various cardiac arrhythmias, but can enhance the cardiac pacemaker current, improving heart function. We summarized the recent advances on the pharmacological effects of natural antiarrhythmic drugs in treating cardiac arrhythmia, exploring their potential mechanisms, and looking for novel targets. A list of these natural drugs, their proposed mechanisms, and known natural drug interactions is presented in Table 1 and Figure 1
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