title: Arrhythmogenic Risk Assessment Following Four-Week Pretreatment With Nicotine and Black Tea in Rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is the controversy concerning the main component of tobacco, which is responsible for its arrhythmogenesis. In addition, there is the lack of adequate information about the influence of combination of black tea and nicotine on heart rhythm.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to examine whether pretreatment with black tea and nicotine could modulate the susceptibility to lethal ventricular arrhythmias.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animals were randomized to control, black tea, nicotine, and black tea plus nicotine groups. Test groups were treated with black tea brewed (orally) and nicotine (2 mg/kg, subcutaneous), alone and in combination for four weeks. On day 29, aconitine was infused intravenously for induction of cardiac arrhythmia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In comparison with the control group, each of tea and nicotine significantly decreased the duration of the ventricular tachycardia (VT) plus ventricular fibrillation (VF) and the score of arrhythmia severity (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively,). The latency for the first VT event was significantly longer in the all test groups, but VF latency was significant only in tea and nicotine groups compared with control group (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively).Threshold dose of aconitine for inducing VT and VF increased in all test groups, but only VT showed a significant difference in comparison to the control group (P < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that sub-chronic consumption of nicotine or black tea alone with appropriate doses could potentially be antiarrhythmic and its combination regimen does not increase the risk of fatal ventricular arrhythmias during four-week consumption period in rats.
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran ; Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran ; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Siyavash
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Joukar
authors.affiliation: Neuroscience Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran ; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Vahid
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sheibani
authors.affiliation: School of Allied Medical Sciences, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Faramarz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koushesh
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran ; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghasemipoor Afshar
authors.affiliation: Physiology Research Center, Institute of Neuropharmacology, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, IR Iran.
authors.forename: Soodabe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghorbani Shahrbabaki
keywords: Ventricular Arrhythmia, Black Tea, Nicotine