ABSTRACT
Cardiac damage can be caused by many xenobiotics, and the effects may be acute or chronic depending on the exposure time and action of the compound. Chemicals can selectively affect the heart or vasculature causing inflammatory and degenerative changes, which may then lead to impairment of the circulation. Primary cardiovascular toxicity is most commonly associated with exaggerated pharmacological effects at high dosages: mechanistically, these changes may involve perturbations of membrane function, particularly of ion transport, and in the contractile or energy-generating systems of the tissues.
