Cardiovascular gap junctions

In recent years, gap junction research in the cardiovascular system has considerably improved the understanding of cardiac function and the vasculature in health and disease. The present book focuses on the communication of intercellular gap junctions in the cardiovascular system but also includes aspects of physiology, medicine and cell biology. The first part of this volume highlights the principal aspects of these intercellular channels, allowing the readers unfamiliar with the field to get a deeper understanding of the physiology, pharmacology and regulation of gap junctions. The second part elucidates their role in the pathophysiology of important cardiovascular diseases, e. g. arrhythmia, heart failure, ischemia, atrial fibrillation, diabetes and arteriosclerosis. This book is of special interest to cardiologists, physiologists, pharmacologists, cardiovascular scientists, biophysicists, cell biologists as well as to industrial companies engaged in cardiovascular medicine and research.