Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Pharmacology
. 1971 Oct;43(2):279–286.

Effect of glucagon on ventricular arrhythmias after coronary artery occlusion and on ventricular automaticity in the dog

B R Madan
PMCID: PMC1665899  PMID: 5158198

Abstract

1. In anaesthetized dogs, glucagon (100 μg/kg i.v.), caused a significant increase in heart rate and decrease in mean arterial blood pressure. Ventricular automaticity, as determined by the time to the onset of first vagal escape beat and the number of such indioventricular beats during the 30 s period of vagal stimulation, was not significantly altered.

2. In unanaesthetized dogs with ventricular arrhythmias produced by two-stage ligation of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery, glucagon (30 and 100 μg/kg i.v.), restored normal sinus rhythm in a few animals. In the remaining dogs, there was a significant reduction in the ventricular ectopic activity.

3. The significant positive chronotropic response to glucagon elicited in anaesthetized animals was not observed in conscious dogs whose coronary arteries had been ligated.

4. These findings enhance the potential usefulness of glucagon in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction, which may often be associated with disturbances of ventricular rhythm.

5. In the light of observations made by other workers, it is suggested that the antiarrhythmic effect of glucagon may be due to movement of potassium ions into the cardiac cell.

Full text

PDF
279

Images in this article

281FIG. 1
on p.281

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bourassa M. G., Eibar J., Campeau L. Effects of glucagon on myocardial metabolism in patients with and without coronary artery disease. Circulation. 1970 Jul;42(1):53–60. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.42.1.53. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Brogan E., Kozonis M. C., Overy D. C. Glucagon therapy in heart-failure. Lancet. 1969 Mar 8;1(7593):482–484. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)91587-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Burke W. M., Asokan S. K., Moschos C. B., Oldewurtel H. A., Regan T. J. Effects of glucose and nonglucose infusions on myocardial potassium ion transfers and arrhythmias during ischemia. Am J Cardiol. 1969 Nov;24(5):713–722. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(69)90459-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CLARK B. B., CUMMINGS J. R. Arrhythmias following experimental coronary occlusion and their response to drugs. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1956 Nov 16;64(4):543–551. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1956.tb36828.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dolgin M. Treatment of cardiac failure with glucagon. Am Heart J. 1970 Jun;79(6):843–844. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(70)90372-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Eddy J. D., O'Brien E. T., Singh S. P. Glucagon and haemodynamics of acute myocardial infarction. Br Med J. 1969 Dec 13;4(5684):663–665. doi: 10.1136/bmj.4.5684.663. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. FARAH A., TUTTLE R. Studies on the pharmacology of glucagon. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1960 May;129:49–55. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Glick G., Parmley W. W., Wechsler A. S., Sonnenblick E. H. Glucagon. Its enhancement of cardiac performance in the cat and dog and persistence of its inotropic action despite beta-receptor blockade with propranolol. Circ Res. 1968 Jun;22(6):789–799. doi: 10.1161/01.res.22.6.789. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Glinsmann W. H., Mortimore G. E. Influence of glucagon and 3', 5'-AMP on insulin responsiveness of the perfused rat liver. Am J Physiol. 1968 Sep;215(3):553–559. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1968.215.3.553. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gunnar R. M., Pietras R. J., Stavrakos C., Loeb H. S., Tobin J. R., Jr The physiologic basis for treatment of shock associated with myocardial infarction. Med Clin North Am. 1967 Jan;51(1):69–81. doi: 10.1016/s0025-7125(16)33083-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. HARRIS A. S. Delayed development of ventricular ectopic rhythms following experimental coronary occlusion. Circulation. 1950 Jun;1(6):1318–1328. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.1.6.1318. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Han J. Mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias associated with myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 1969 Dec;24(6):800–813. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(69)90469-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. JACOBSON E. D., SCHIESS W., MOE G. K. The effect of hypoxia on experimental ventricular tachycardia. Am Heart J. 1962 Sep;64:368–375. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(62)90152-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Klein S. W., Morch J. E., Mahon W. A. Cardiovascular effects of glucagon in man. Can Med Assoc J. 1968 Jun 22;98(25):1161–1164. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lal S., Fletcher E. Glucagon therapy in heart-failure. Lancet. 1969 Apr 5;1(7597):731–731. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(69)92681-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lucchesi B. R. Cardiac actions of glucagon. Circ Res. 1968 Jun;22(6):777–787. doi: 10.1161/01.res.22.6.777. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lucchesi B. R., Stutz D. R., Winfield R. A. Glucagon: its enhancement of atrioventricular nodal pacemaker activity and failure to increase ventricular automaticity in dogs. Circ Res. 1969 Aug;25(2):183–190. doi: 10.1161/01.res.25.2.183. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. MALING H. M., MORAN N. C. Ventricular arrhythmias induced by sympathomimetic amines in unanesthetized dogs following coronary artery occlusion. Circ Res. 1957 Jul;5(4):409–413. doi: 10.1161/01.res.5.4.409. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Matloff J. M., Parmley W. W., Manchester J. H., Berkovits B., Sonnenblick E. H., Harken D. E. Hemodynamic effects of glucagon and intraaortic balloon counterpulsation in canine myocardial infarction. Am J Cardiol. 1970 Jun;25(6):675–682. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(70)90618-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Moir T. W., Naylor W. G. Coronary vascular effects of glucagon in the isolated dog heart. Circ Res. 1970 Jan;26(1):29–34. doi: 10.1161/01.res.26.1.29. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Murtagh J. G., Binnion P. F., Lal S., Hutchison K. J., Fletcher E. Haemodynamic effects of glucagon. Br Heart J. 1970 May;32(3):307–315. doi: 10.1136/hrt.32.3.307. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Parmley W. W., Glick G., Sonnenblick E. H. Cardiovascular effects of glucagon in man. N Engl J Med. 1968 Jul 4;279(1):12–17. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196807042790103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Puri P. S., Bing R. J. Effects of glucagon on myocardial contractility and hemodynamics in acute experimental myocardial infarction. Basis for its possible use in cardiogenic shock. Am Heart J. 1969 Nov;78(5):660–668. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(69)90518-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Regan T. J., Harman M. A., Lehan P. H., Burke W. M., Oldewurtel H. A. Ventricular arrhythmias and K+ transfer during myocardial ischemia and intervention with procaine amide, insulin, or glucose solution. J Clin Invest. 1967 Oct;46(10):1657–1668. doi: 10.1172/JCI105657. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. SAMOLS E., MARRI G., MARKS V. PROMOTION OF INSULIN SECRETION BY GLUCAGON. Lancet. 1965 Aug 28;2(7409):415–416. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(65)90761-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. SODI-PALLARES D., BISTENI A., MEDRANO G. A., TESTELLI M. R., DE MICHELI A. The polarizing treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Possibility of its use in other cardiovascular conditions. Dis Chest. 1963 Apr;43:424–432. doi: 10.1378/chest.43.4.424. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Spilker B. Comparison of the inotropic response to glucagon, ouabain and noradrenaline. Br J Pharmacol. 1970 Nov;40(3):382–395. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1970.tb10620.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Steiner C., Wit A. L., Damato A. N. Effects of glucagon on atrioventricular conduction and ventricular automaticity in dogs. Circ Res. 1969 Feb;24(2):167–177. doi: 10.1161/01.res.24.2.167. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Szekeres L., Papp J. G. Antiarrhythmic compounds. Prog Drug Res. 1968;12:292–369. doi: 10.1007/978-3-0348-7065-8_5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Vander Ark C. R., Reynolds E. W., Jr Clinical evaluation of glucagon by continuous infusion in the treatment of low cardiac output states. Am Heart J. 1970 Apr;79(4):481–487. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(70)90253-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Whitsitt L. S., Lucchesi B. R. Effects of beta-receptor blockade and glucagon on the atrioventricular transmission system in the dog. Circ Res. 1968 Nov;23(5):585–595. doi: 10.1161/01.res.23.5.585. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Pharmacology are provided here courtesy of The British Pharmacological Society

RESOURCES