Contribution of mi RNAs to ion-channel remodelling in atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation(AF) is the most commonly encountered clinical arrhythmia associated with pronounced mortality and morbidity, which are related to palpitations, fainting, congestive heart failure, and stroke. Prolonged episodes of AF promote AF persistence mainly due to electrical remodelling that alters ion-channel expression and/or function. Micro RNAs(mi RNAs), a new class of noncoding mR NAs of around 22 nucleotides in length, have recently emerged as one of the key players in the geneexpression regulatory networks. The potential roles of miR NAs in controlling AF have recently been investigated. Several recent studies have provided promising results for a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of AF. In this review, we summarize the mechanism of miR NAs as regulators of ion-channel gene expression and their role in causing AF through electrical remodelling.