Division of Cardiology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA.
J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2011 Jun;57(6):625-9. doi: 10.1097/FJC.0b013e3182073c78.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in humans. It affects 5% of the population older than age 65 years and is projected to rise as the population ages. Experimental data from animal models of AF show that AF is associated with progressive structural and electrical remodeling of the atria. Atrial fibrosis alters atrial electrical conduction and excitability and provides a substrate for AF maintenance. However, whether fibrosis is causally related to AF or an epiphenomenon and the precise mechanisms underlying atrial fibrosis remain unclear. A variety of signaling systems involving angiotensin II and related mediators are centrally involved in atrial fibrosis. This article reviews the role that atrial fibrosis plays in AF, the mechanisms of atrial fibrosis, and emerging therapeutic approaches to AF aimed at attenuating atrial fibrosis.
心房颤动（AF）是人类最常见的心律失常。它影响 5%的 65 岁以上人群，预计随着人口老龄化，这一比例还会上升。来自 AF 动物模型的实验数据表明，AF 与心房的进行性结构和电重构有关。心房纤维化改变心房的电传导和兴奋性，并为 AF 的维持提供基质。然而，纤维化是否与 AF 有因果关系，还是一种偶然现象，以及心房纤维化的确切机制仍不清楚。涉及血管紧张素 II 和相关介质的多种信号系统在心房纤维化中起着核心作用。本文综述了心房纤维化在 AF 中的作用、心房纤维化的机制，以及旨在减轻心房纤维化的 AF 新的治疗方法。
