Alprazolam decreases isoproterenol induced myocardial damage in the rat.
Myocardial trauma and damage were induced by two doses of isoproterenol 40 mg.kg-1 in rats. Isoproterenol injections alone caused the expected cardiotoxicity. Two doses of alprazolam 0.5 mg.kg-1 decreased the severity of electrocardiographic changes after isoproterenol injection and the amount of myocardial tissue damage. The frequency of ischaemic ST-T changes, flat or inverted T waves, Q wave appearance, and heart block was significantly reduced in the alprazolam group. The alprazolam treated group had a significantly smaller proportion of infarcted tissue in the ventricular section (2.3%) and in the apical sections (1.8%) than the vehicle injected rats (6.5% and 14.7% respectively). There was no difference in wet heart weight or in heart rate between the alprazolam group and the control group. These results show that alprazolam has a cardioprotective effect in rats treated with cardiac damaging doses of isoproterenol.
Berkowitz
K
K
Department of Pharmacology, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107.
Conahan
S
S
Vogel
W H
WH
D000525:Alprazolam / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007545:Isoproterenol / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D007545:Isoproterenol; D000525:Alprazolam