The monophasic action potential technique and its application in cardiac electropharmacology

Monophasic action potentials (MAPs) are a measure of electrical activity of local myocardial cells recorded from the epicardial or endocardial surfaces of the beating heart, in vivo, using a positive pressure-contact electrode or electrode catheter. The MAP technique is a reliable and safe method for studying and detecting the cardiac electrophysiological and electropharmacological activities and mechanisms in animal heart, and most importantly, in human hearts. In the present review we discuss the monophasic action potential technique and its applications to electropharmacology, especially antiarrhythmic and antiischemic agents.