Computer models of cardiac cells can identify combinations of actions on ion channels that may avoid arrhythmic side effects (1), thus providing a new, more predictive, biomarker, now used in the pharmaceutical industry. Herbal remedies are naturally multi-action. In some cases, therapeutic effects have been validated by double-blind clinical trial (2), the chemical composition is known, and the action profiles on multiple targets have also been characterised. The data can therefore be used in the same models as for single compound drugs. The Figure shows that the profile of action of Shen-song yang-xin (SSYX) (2, 4) accounts for the shortening of the cardiac action potential. When early-after depolarizations (5) are induced in the model the actions of SSYX fully reverse the effect on repolarization (right hand panel). We believe this is the first time that simulation has been used to demonstrate the anti-arrhythmic mechanism of a herbal remedy.
37th Congress of IUPS (Birmingham, UK) (2013) Proc 37th IUPS, PCA240
Poster Communications: Simulation of the anti-arrhythmic properties of herbal remedies
P. Noble2, K. Tasaki2, D. Gavaghan1, G. Mirams1, D. Noble2,1
1. Computing Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. 2. MAviaSB Project, Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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