title: Failure of opioids to affect excitation and contraction in isolated ventricular heart muscle.
abstract: The opioid agonists morphine (selective for mu-receptors) and ethylketocyclazocine (selective for kappa-receptors), at concentrations evoking strong effects in neuronal structures, did not significantly affect the configuration of the intracellularly recorded action potential and the force of contraction in ventricular heart muscle isolated from guinea pigs, rabbits and man. These results suggest that any changes of heart functions in vivo in response to opioid-like drugs are probably not mediated postsynaptically at the myocardial cell membrane but rather presynaptically, influencing the release of noradrenaline and/or acetylcholine from the nerve terminals.
authors.affiliation: Pharmakologisches Institut, Universität Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nawrath
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rupp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jakob
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sack
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mertzlufft
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Dick
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D003496:Cyclazocine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016314:Ethylketocyclazocine; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D009020:Morphine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D009270:Naloxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010210:Papillary Muscles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011817:Rabbits; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D009270:Naloxone; D016314:Ethylketocyclazocine; D009020:Morphine; D003496:Cyclazocine; D000109:Acetylcholine; D009638:Norepinephrine