Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Heart Journal logoLink to British Heart Journal
. 1978 Jun;40(6):644–649. doi: 10.1136/hrt.40.6.644

Electrophysiological effects of edrophonium in the innervated and the transplanted denervated human heart.

D R Stemple, R J Hall, J W Mason, D C Harrison
PMCID: PMC483462  PMID: 350244

Abstract

In order to determine the mechanism of action of edrophonium on the cardiac conduction system, we used His bundle recording and pacing techniques to examine the electrophysiological effect of edrophonium in 6 patients undergoing diagnostic evaluation for coronary artery disease and in 9 cardiac transplant recipients who were free of acute graft rejection. After control measures were made of sinus cycle length, conduction intervals, and conduction system refractory periods, edrophonium was administered by constant intravenous infusion, and all electrophysiological measurements were repeated. In the normally innervated patients, edrophonium significantly increased sinus cycle length from 778 +/- 21 ms to 883 +/- 36 ms (P less than 0.01), AH interval from 88 +/- 11 ms to 100 +/- 12 ms (P less than 0.01), and AV nodal functional refractory period from 351 +/- 44 ms to 391 +/- 36 ms (P less than 0.05). In the patients with transplanted hearts, edrophonium had no electrophysiological effect other than increasing the cycle length of the remnant recipient atrium from 722 +/- 21 ms to 798 +/- 31 ms (P less than 0.01). We conclude that the electrophysiological effects of edrophonium in man are mediated primarily through autonomic innervation of the heart.

Full text

PDF
644

Selected References

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

  1. Back D. J., Calvey T. N. The pharmacokinetics of (14C)-edrophonium in normal wistar rats and homozygous Gunn rats with ligated renal pedicles. Br J Pharmacol. 1974 May;51(1):61–65. doi: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1974.tb09632.x. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Cannom D. S., Graham A. F., Harrison D. C. Electrophysiological studies in the denervated transplanted human heart. Response to trial pacing and atropine. Circ Res. 1973 Feb;32(2):268–278. doi: 10.1161/01.res.32.2.268. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Cannom D. S., Rider A. K., Stinson E. B., Harrison D. C. Electrophysiologic studies in the denervated transplanted human heart. II. Response to norepinephrine, isoproterenol and propranolol. Am J Cardiol. 1975 Dec;36(7):859–866. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(75)90074-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cantwell J. D., Dawson J. E., Fletcher G. F. Supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. Treatment with edrophonium. Arch Intern Med. 1972 Aug;130(2):221–224. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Frieden J., Cooper J. A., Grossman J. I. Continuous infusion of edrophonium (Tensilon) in treating supraventricular arrhythmias. Am J Cardiol. 1971 Mar;27(3):294–297. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(71)90306-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Higgins C. B., Vatner S. F., Braunwald E. Parasympathetic control of the heart. Pharmacol Rev. 1973 Mar;25(1):119–155. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kent K. M., Epstein S. E., Cooper T., Jacobowitz D. M. Cholinergic innervation of the canine and human ventricular conducting system. Anatomic and electrophysiologic correlations. Circulation. 1974 Nov;50(5):948–955. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.50.5.948. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Kolman B. S., Verrier R. L., Lown B. The effect of vagus nerve stimulation upon vulnerability of the canine ventricle: role of sympathetic-parasympathetic interactions. Circulation. 1975 Oct;52(4):578–585. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.52.4.578. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Reddy C. P., Damato A. N., Akhtar M., Ogunkelu J. B., Caracta A. R., Ruskin J. N., Lau S. H. Time dependent changes in the functional properties of the atrioventricular conduction system in man. Circulation. 1975 Dec;52(6):1012–1022. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.52.6.1012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Reddy R. C., Gould L., Gomprecht R. F. Use of edrophonium (tensilon) in the evaluation of cardiac arrhythmias. Am Heart J. 1971 Dec;82(6):742–749. doi: 10.1016/0002-8703(71)90194-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Rosen K. M. Evaluation of cardiac conduction in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Am J Cardiol. 1972 Nov 8;30(6):701–703. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(72)90615-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Stinson E. B., Dong E., Jr, Iben A. B., Shumway N. E. Cardiac transplantation in man. 3. Surgical aspects. Am J Surg. 1969 Aug;118(2):182–187. doi: 10.1016/0002-9610(69)90118-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. THESLEFF S. Supersensitivity of skeletal muscle produced by botulinum toxin. J Physiol. 1960 Jun;151:598–607. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1960.sp006463. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Heart Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES