Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Ionotropic effect
Introduction
An ionotropic effect is a special kind of effect of a hormone on its target. The hormone activates or deactivates ionotropic receptors (ligand-gated ion channels). The effect can be either positive or negative, whether the effect is a depolarization or a hyperpolarization respectively.
Examples
Examples
Noradrenaline has a positive ionotropic effect on heart muscle, when binding to beta-1 adrenergic receptors on this tissue[1]. The result is an increased cardiac output.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]