LOS ANGELES, Feb. 18 (Xinhua) -- A new study by researchers at University of California, Irvine (UC Irvine), has revealed the underlying mechanism for life-threatening heart disorder resulted from low oxygen levels, according to a university release on Tuesday.
Low oxygen levels in the heart have long been known to produce life-threatening arrhythmias, even sudden death. Until now, it has not been clear how.
"Our research shows that within seconds, at low levels of oxygen (hypoxia), a protein called small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) is linked to the inside of the sodium channels which are responsible for starting each heartbeat," said Steve Goldstein, professor of pediatrics and of physiology and biophysics at UC Irvine's School of Medicine.
"And, while SUMOylated channels open as they should to start the heartbeat, they re-open when they should be closed. The result is abnormal sodium currents that predispose to dangerous cardiac rhythms," he said.
The information, gained through the current study, offers new targets for therapeutics to prevent arrhythmia associated with heart attacks, chronic heart failure and other life-threatening low oxygen cardiac conditions, according to the release.
The study was also published Tuesday in Cell Reports.
