Atrial remodelling in atrial fibrillation: CaMKII as a nodal proarrhythmic signal.

CaMKII is a serine-threonine protein kinase that is abundant in myocardium. Emergent evidence suggests that CaMKII may play an important role in promoting atrial fibrillation (AF) by targeting a diverse array of proteins involved in membrane excitability, cell survival, calcium homeostasis, matrix remodelling, inflammation, and metabolism. Furthermore, CaMKII inhibition appears to protect against AF in animal models and correct proarrhythmic, defective intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis in fibrillating human atrial cells. This review considers current concepts and evidence from animal and human studies on the role of CaMKII in AF.