title: Ischemia/reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in anaesthetized rats: a role of Na+ and Ca2+ influx.
abstract: We hypothesized that by limiting the Na+ and Ca2+ loading by a blocker/inhibitor of the Na+ channel (lidocaine), Na+ overload (R56865: N-[1-[4-(4-fluorophenoxy)butyl]-4-piperidinyl]-N-methyl-2-benzothiazo lamine), Ca2+ channel (verapamil), Na+ -H+ exchange (ethylisobutyl amiloride) or of Na+ -Ca2+ exchange (No. 7943: 2-[2-[4-(4-nitrobenzyloxy)phenyl]ethyl]isothiourea methanesulfonate), it should be possible to reduce ischemia/reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. To test this hypothesis, we used anaesthetized rats subjected to 5 min of coronary artery occlusion followed by 10 min of reperfusion to study antiarrhythmic effects of above compounds on reperfusion-induced ventricular premature beats, ventricular tachycardia, and reversible and irreversible ventricular fibrillation. Compound or saline was administered as an intravenous bolus injection at 5 min before ischemia. Pretreatment with lidocaine (5 mg/kg), verapamil (0.63 mg/kg), R56865 (0.63 mg/kg) or ethylisobutyl amiloride (1.25 mg/kg) significantly reduced or abolished all types of ventricular arrhythmias. However, pretreatment with verapamil was associated with second or third degree heart block in 3 out of 12 animals. Pretreatment with No. 7943 did not significantly influence the ischemia/reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias. The present results suggest that both intracellular Na+ -and Ca2+ -loading play important roles in reperfusion-induced ventricular arrhythmias and the inhibition of Na+ -Ca2+ exchange to limit Ca2+ loading probably does not play any important role in ischemia/reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in anaesthetized rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Pharmacology, Janssen Research Foundation, Beerse, Belgium.
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Remeysen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saels
authors.forename: D Z
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Clerck
mesh_terms: D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D052160:Benzothiazoles; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D015428:Myocardial Reperfusion Injury / Q000150:complications*; D010880:Piperidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism*; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology