title: Impact of subchronic administration of piperazine citrate on the electrocardiogram of the rat.
abstract: The effect of piperazine citrate on the electrocardiogram of the rat after treatment with piperazine citrate at 30, 60, and 100 mg/kg body weight for 16 weeks was investigated. The results were compared with a control group. There was prolongation of P-R, Q-Tc, and J-T intervals, whereas the QRS interval remained virtually unchanged. The heart rate, on the other hand, decreased in the groups that received piperazine citrate. The average heart rate in the control group was 334 ± 17.20 beats/min. In the group of rats that received the three doses of piperazine, the average heart rate at the end of a 15-minute observation period was 308 ± 3.74 beats/min, 302 ± 16.55 beats/min, and 312 ± 13.93 beats/min, respectively, and none of the values was statistically significant compared with the control. The P-R interval showed statistically significant increases in the groups treated with the three doses of piperazine over the control group. In both the 30- and 60-mg/kg groups, the average P-R interval was 92.0 ± 0.5, which was statistically significant when compared with the control average of 80.0 ± 0.00 (P = 0.0427). For the 100-mg/kg group, the average P-R interval was 96.0 ± 0.4 ms. The difference between this value and the control average was equally statistically significant (P = 0.0043). Both the Q-Tc and J-T intervals also showed statistically significant increases in the piperazine-treated groups and the P values compared with the control group were very similar. Even at the very high dose of 100 mg/kg given two times daily for 16 weeks, piperazine citrate appeared quite safe to the rat heart because it did not provoke any cardiac dysrhythmic phenomenon on the surface electrocardiogram.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu, Nigeria. samuelghasi@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghasi
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ogbonna
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mbah
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000187:drug effects*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D010879:Piperazines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D010879:Piperazines; C006589:piperazine citrate