title: Effects of polidocanol as a constituent of a venous sclerosing agent on cardiac electrical activity. Studies on the isolated perfused heart and papillary muscle of the guinea pig and on the isolated sinus node of the rabbit.
abstract: The effects of a frequently used sclerosing agent (Sotravarix 6%, main constituent polidocanol 60 mg/ml = 0.1 mol/l) on the electrical activity of the isolated perfused guinea pig heart and on transmembrane potential of isolated papillary muscle and sinus node were studied. Application of the sclerosing agent in a dilution of 1:40,000 (corresponding to polidocanol 2.6 x 10(-6) mol/l) caused a significant decrease in frequency (-27%) and (at constant frequency) a significant delay of the atrioventricular as well as of the intraventricular conduction (+105% or + 210%, resp. n = 4). These effects were only slightly reversible in a 30 min wash-out period. In the isolated papillary muscle, the sclerosing agent (dilution 1:10,000; polidocanol 1 x 10(-5) mol/l) decreased the maximum rate of rise of the action potential and shortened its duration, both by about 10%. In the isolated sinus node the same dilution decreased the spontaneous rate by about 8% mainly by reducing the diastolic depolarization rate (-18%). The effects of the sclerosing agent are attributable to the influence of polidocanol and consist in a blockade of the fast sodium channels (local anesthesia) and in additional inhibitory effects on calcium and/or potassium conductance.
authors.affiliation: Physiologisches Institut, University of Freiburg/Brsg. Fed. Rep. of Germany.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oexle
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weirich
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Haverkampf
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Antoni
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D008839:Microelectrodes; D010210:Papillary Muscles / Q000187:drug effects; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011817:Rabbits; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012849:Sinoatrial Node / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D000077423:Polidocanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols