Cyclopentanophenanthrenes with a 5- or 6-membered lactone ring attached at the 17-position and SUGARS attached at the 3-position. Plants they come from have long been used in congestive heart failure. They increase the force of cardiac contraction without significantly affecting other parameters, but are very toxic at larger doses. Their mechanism of action usually involves inhibition of the NA(+)-K(+)-EXCHANGING ATPASE and they are often used in cell biological studies for that purpose.

Descriptor ID	D002301
MeSH Number(s)	D04.210.500.155.580 D09.408.180
Concept/Terms	Cardiac Glycosides Cardiac Glycosides Glycosides, Cardiac Cardiotonic Steroids Steroids, Cardiotonic

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is more general than "Cardiac Glycosides".

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is related to "Cardiac Glycosides".

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is more specific than "Cardiac Glycosides".