title: Cardiomyocytes in culture--a model to study the cellular actions of amiodarone.
abstract: The extensive use of amiodarone as an anti-arrhythmic drug is hampered by numerous side effects and by insufficient knowledge of its cellular action. The use of cell cultures for studying the mechanism of amiodarone action has been questioned, since available information has indicated that the doses employed for the experiments induce cell damage. We have defined conditions to obtain the amiodarone effect on cardiac cells in culture with no detectable damage. Amiodarone, 1 microg/ml, a concentration comparable to serum levels of the drug in acute and chronically treated humans and rats, reduces cell contractions, modifies membrane electrical properties accordingly, increases ATP content, but does not alter cell substructure or change enzyme activities. We strongly support the use of cell cultures for studying the cellular action(s) of amiodarone and offer conditions suitable for such experiments.
authors.affiliation: Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Petah Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kessler-Icekson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schlesinger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Djaldetti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brodie
authors.forename: S R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Sampson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bergman
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000032:analysis; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D009206:Myocardium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000201:enzymology; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D000638:Amiodarone