title: Effect of intravenous ketanserin on the human action potential duration at fixed heart rate.
abstract: In this study any changes in action potential duration or Q-T interval due to acute doses of ketanserin were monitored. The effect of a bolus dose (10 or 20 mg) followed by an infusion (10 or 20 mg over 20 minutes) of ketanserin on the Q-T interval and action potential duration was studied in six patients undergoing routine cardiac catheterization. Action potential duration was measured with a silver-silver chloride electrode catheter while heart rate was kept constant by atrial pacing and reflex effects avoided by beta-adrenergic blockade. There were some prolongations of the action potential duration but they were not in excess of 40 msec and did not reach statistical significance (control 263 +/- 46.0 msec; bolus 269 +/- 52.1 msec; infusion 262 +/- 53.6 msec; nor were there any significant changes in Q-T interval. Thus acute intravenous doses of ketanserin, in the absence of hypokalaemia or other Q-T interval-prolonging drugs, have no consistent effect on Q-T interval or action potential duration; prolongation of the action potential, when it occurs, is small.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine 1, St. George's Hospital Medical School, London, England.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Drake-Holland
authors.forename: M I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pugh
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mills
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000368:Aged; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007650:Ketanserin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D007650:Ketanserin