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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1986 Apr;83(7):2223–2227. doi: 10.1073/pnas.83.7.2223

Potassium channel blockade: A mechanism for suppressing ventricular fibrillation.

M B Bacaner, J R Clay, A Shrier, R M Brochu
PMCID: PMC323264  PMID: 2421289

Abstract

The suppression of ventricular fibrillation by antidysrhythmic drugs is well correlated with their ability to block potassium channels in nerve and cardiac membranes. Blockade of potassium channels reduces electrical inhomogeneities in action potential and conduction parameters that lead to ventricular fibrillation. These actions tend to effectively decrease the electrical size of the heart, which suggests a mechanism for antifibrillatory drug action. The receptor sites for antifibrillatory drug action (IK blockade) appear to be on the outside of the cardiac membrane whereas receptors for antiarrhythmic drug action (INa blockade) appear to be on the inside of the cardiac membrane.

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Selected References

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