What are cardiac glycosides used to treat?
People also ask, what do cardiac glycosides do?
Cardiac glycoside. Cardiac glycosides are a class of organic compounds that increase the output force of the heart and increase its rate of contractions by acting on the cellular sodium-potassium ATPase pump.
Hereof, what are examples of cardiac glycosides?
The most recognized of these plants is foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), found in Africa and other parts of the world. It contains the cardiac glycosides digoxin, digitoxin, and digitonin, among several others. Digoxin at therapeutic levels is used to treat congestive heart failure, but becomes toxic at high doses.
Mechanism of Action. The molecular target of cardiac glycosides is the Na+/K+-ATPase (EC 3.1. 6.37), which maintains the high sodium and potassium gradients across the plasma membrane, coupled to the hydrolysis of the high-energy phosphate ATP.