Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Pharmacology logoLink to British Journal of Pharmacology
. 1990 Jul;100(3):530–534. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1990.tb15841.x

Pharmacological analysis of established ventricular fibrillation.

E J Carlisle 1, J D Allen 1, W G Kernohan 1, W Leahey 1, A A Adgey 1
PMCID: PMC1917813  PMID: 2167735

Abstract

1. The effects of anti-arrhythmic drugs on the power spectrum of established ventricular fibrillation induced by endocardial electrical stimulation, have been studied in greyhounds anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone (35 mg kg-1, i.v.). 2. In dogs receiving no drug, initial recording of ventricular fibrillation showed a dominant frequency of 9.9 +/- 0.7 Hz (lead II) and 10.0 +/- 0.6 Hz (endocardium). After 3.3 min the frequency had fallen to 4.0 +/- 0.4 Hz in lead II, but remained high in the endocardium (10.7 +/- 0.5 Hz). 3. Lignocaine significantly reduced the dominant frequency for fibrillation recorded from lead II at (0-80 s), and for endocardial fibrillation at (0-200 s). 4. Pretreatment with propranolol or bretylium had little effect on the time course of the dominant frequency of fibrillation in lead II or the endocardium. 5. Verapamil prevented the fall in frequency seen in lead II after 80 s in the no drug group. A significantly higher frequency was maintained in both lead II (14.7 +/- 0.9 Hz) and the endocardium (14.8 +/- 0.9 Hz) for 3.3 min, compared with the no drug group (P less than 0.01). 6. Activation of fast sodium channels may determine the rapid frequency of the initial stages of ventricular fibrillation. The rapid fall in dominant frequency in lead II after fibrillation for 80 s can be prevented by calcium channel blockade and may be due to intracellular accumulation of calcium.

Full text

PDF
532

Selected References

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

  1. Anderson J. L., Patterson E., Conlon M., Pasyk S., Pitt B., Lucchesi B. R. Kinetics of antifibrillatory effects of bretylium: correlation with myocardial drug concentrations. Am J Cardiol. 1980 Oct;46(4):583–592. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(80)90507-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bigger J. T., Jr, Jaffe C. C. The effect of bretylium tosylate on the electrophysiologic properties of ventricular muscle and Purkinje fibers. Am J Cardiol. 1971 Jan;27(1):82–92. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(71)90086-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Carlisle E. J., Allen J. D., Kernohan W. G., Anderson J., Adgey A. A. Fourier analysis of ventricular fibrillation of varied aetiology. Eur Heart J. 1990 Feb;11(2):173–181. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a059674. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cheung J. Y., Bonventre J. V., Malis C. D., Leaf A. Calcium and ischemic injury. N Engl J Med. 1986 Jun 26;314(26):1670–1676. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198606263142604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Clark R. E., Ferguson T. B., West P. N., Shuchleib R. C., Henry P. D. Pharmacological preservation of the ischemic heart. Ann Thorac Surg. 1977 Oct;24(4):307–314. doi: 10.1016/s0003-4975(10)63405-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Coltart D. J., Shand D. G. Plasma propranolol levels in the quaniitative assessment of beta-adrenergic blockade in man. Br Med J. 1970 Sep 26;3(5725):731–734. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5725.731. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Dahl G., Isenberg G. Decoupling of heart muscle cells: correlation with increased cytoplasmic calcium activity and with changes of nexus ultrastructure. J Membr Biol. 1980 Mar 31;53(1):63–75. doi: 10.1007/BF01871173. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Davis L. D., Temte J. V. Effects of propranolol on the transmembrane potentials of ventricular muscle and Purkinje fibers of the dog. Circ Res. 1968 May;22(5):661–677. doi: 10.1161/01.res.22.5.661. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. De Mello W. C. Influence of the sodium pump on intercellular communication in heart fibres: effect of intracellular injection of sodium ion on electrical coupling. J Physiol. 1976 Dec;263(2):171–197. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1976.sp011627. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Elharrar V., Gaum W. E., Zipes D. P. Effect of drugs on conduction delay and incidence of ventricular arrhythmias induced by acute coronary occlusion in dogs. Am J Cardiol. 1977 Apr;39(4):544–549. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9149(77)80164-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fleet W. F., Johnson T. A., Graebner C. A., Engle C. L., Gettes L. S. Effects of verapamil on ischemia-induced changes in extracellular K+, pH, and local activation in the pig. Circulation. 1986 Apr;73(4):837–846. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.73.4.837. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. GILMORE J. P., SIEGEL J. H. Mechanism of the myocardial effects of bretylium. Circ Res. 1962 Mar;10:347–353. doi: 10.1161/01.res.10.3.347. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Geuze R. H., de Vente J. Effects of duration of ventricular fibrillation and heart massage on haemodynamic responses after defibrillation in dogs. Cardiovasc Res. 1983 May;17(5):282–289. doi: 10.1093/cvr/17.5.282. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hirata Y., Kodama I., Iwamura N., Shimizu T., Toyama J., Yamada K. Effects of verapamil on canine Purkinje fibres and ventricular muscle fibres with particular reference to the alternation of action potential duration after a sudden increase in driving rate. Cardiovasc Res. 1979 Jan;13(1):1–8. doi: 10.1093/cvr/13.1.1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Kupersmith J. Electrophysiological and antiarrhythmic effects of lidocaine in canine acute myocardial ischemia. Am Heart J. 1979 Mar;97(3):360–366. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(79)90437-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Little R. A., Frayn K. N., Randall P. E., Stoner H. B., Yates D. W., Laing G. S., Kumar S., Banks J. M. Plasma catecholamines in patients with acute myocardial infarction and in cardiac arrest. Q J Med. 1985 Feb;54(214):133–140. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Martin G., Cosin J., Such M., Hernandez A., Llamas P. Relation between power spectrum time course during ventricular fibrillation and electromechanical dissociation. Effects of coronary perfusion and nifedipine. Eur Heart J. 1986 Jul;7(7):560–569. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a062106. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Reimer K. A., Lowe J. E., Jennings R. B. Effect of the calcium antagonist verapamil on necrosis following temporary coronary artery occlusion in dogs. Circulation. 1977 Apr;55(4):581–587. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.55.4.581. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Reimer K. A., Rasmussen M. M., Jennings R. B. Reduction by propranolol of myocardial necrosis following temporary coronary artery occlusion in dogs. Circ Res. 1973 Sep;33(3):353–363. doi: 10.1161/01.res.33.3.353. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Rosen M. R., Hoffman B. F., Wit A. L. Electrophysiology and pharmacology of cardiac arrhythmias. V. Cardiac antiarrhythmic effects of lidocaine. Am Heart J. 1975 Apr;89(4):526–536. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(75)90162-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Sanna G., Arcidiacono R. Chemical ventricular defibrillation of the human heart with bretylium tosylate. Am J Cardiol. 1973 Dec;32(7):982–987. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9149(73)80168-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Singh B. N. A fourth class of anti-dysrhythmic action? Effect of verapamil on ouabain toxicity, on atrial and ventricular intracellular potentials, and on other features of cardiac function. Cardiovasc Res. 1972 Mar;6(2):109–119. doi: 10.1093/cvr/6.2.109. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Singh B. N., Williams E. M. Effect of altering potassium concentration on the action of lidocaine and diphenylhydantoin on rabbit atrial and ventricular muscle. Circ Res. 1971 Sep;29(3):286–295. doi: 10.1161/01.res.29.3.286. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Taggart P., Donaldson R., Abed J., Nashat F. Class III action of beta-blocking agents. Cardiovasc Res. 1984 Nov;18(11):683–689. doi: 10.1093/cvr/18.11.683. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Vaughan Williams E. M. A classification of antiarrhythmic actions reassessed after a decade of new drugs. J Clin Pharmacol. 1984 Apr;24(4):129–147. doi: 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1984.tb01822.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Worley S. J., Swain J. L., Colavita P. G., Smith W. M., Ideker R. E. Development of an endocardial-epicardial gradient of activation rate during electrically induced, sustained ventricular fibrillation in dogs. Am J Cardiol. 1985 Mar 1;55(6):813–820. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(85)90162-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

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

RESOURCES