title: Effects of the bradycardic agent ZD 7288 on membrane voltage and pacemaker current in sheep cardiac Purkinje fibres.
abstract: The bradycardic mechanism of ZD 7288 (4-(N-ethyl-N-phenylamino)-1,2-dimethyl-6-(methylamino)pyrimidinium++  + chloride) was investigated in sheep cardiac Purkinje fibres. The pacemaker i(f)-current measured with the two-microelectrode voltage-clamp technique, as well as the diastolic depolarization rate and the frequency of spontaneously active fibres were evaluated. ZD 7288 did inhibit i(f)-current. The i(f)-amplitude recorded with a 0.8s-lasting test pulse from about -50 mV to -100 mV was reduced to 50% of control at 0.85 mumol/l and to 5% of control at 10 mumol/l. The threshold potential of i(f)-activation was unaffected at a concentration of 1 mumol/l ZD 7288. The time constant of i(f)-activation at different test potentials was not changed by 1 mumol/l ZD 7288. The drug was equally effective during i(f)-activation with a 0.5 s-lasting test pulse applied at 0.05 Hz or 0.5 Hz. During long lasting (5 s) hyperpolarizing test pulses (-120 mV) the inhibition of i(f)-current was removed. In constantly stimulated Purkinje fibres (0.5 Hz) the slope of the early diastolic depolarization was decreased by ZD 7288. The half-maximal effect occurred at 0.92 mumol/l. There was strong correlation over the concentration range of 0.01 to 10 mumol/l ZD 7288 between the decrease of the slope of early diastolic depolarization and inhibition of i(f)-amplitude recorded with 0.8s-lasting test pulses to -100 mV. The correlation coefficient was r = 0.97. These results will explain the decrease in frequency of spontaneously active (about 0.6 Hz) Purkinje fibres.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Institut für Pharmakologie, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Borchard
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gelhaar
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hafner
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Weis
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D002586:Cesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000187:drug effects*; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D011690:Purkinje Fibers / Q000187:drug effects*; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D017680:Potassium Compounds; D011743:Pyrimidines; C082246:ICI D2788; D002586:Cesium