Abstract: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common clinical persistent arrhythmia and an independent risk factor for stroke and heart failure. However, the exact pathogenesis of AF is not completely clear. Endoplasmic reticulum is a major organelle that regulates protein synthesis, intracellular Ca2+ concentration, oxidative stress level, and induces apoptotic signaling pathways. A variety of pathogenic factors can lead to endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS), which mainly restores the homeostasis of endoplasmic reticulum through the unfolded protein response (UPR). Excessive activation of ERS can lead to Ca2+ overload of atrial myocytes, imbalance of oxidative stress and apoptosis, playing an important role in the pathogenesis of AF. The purpose of this review is to summarize the research progress of ERS and AF.

Key words: atrial fibrillation, apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum stress, unfolded protein response, calcium overload