title: Amiodarone distribution in human tissues after long-term therapy: a case of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.
abstract: The tissue distribution of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone, its active metabolite, was examined in an autopsied case, an 85-year-old man, with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) who had been receiving amiodarone for 4 years. High concentrations of amiodarone, a very highly lipophilic compound, were found in adipose and bone marrow tissues. Despite a low dose (100 mg daily), the concentrations of amiodarone were higher in the epicardial fat (570.4 microg/g) and in the right atrium (165.3 microg/g) than previously reported in patients with other cardiac diseases. The ratios of amiodarone/ desethylamiodarone concentrations in both tissues were >1. This unique distribution demonstrates the involvement of histological characteristics of ARVC, such as fatty replacement of myocardium. We anticipate that a low dose of amiodarone would be effective in preventing arrhythmia in some patients with ARVC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, The Heart Institute of Japan, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Japan
authors.forename: Fumitaka
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hosaka
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shiga
authors.forename: Yasunari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakomura
authors.forename: Michi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wakaumi
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kasanuki
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000638:Amiodarone / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019571:Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013995:Time; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000638:Amiodarone