Mechanisms of hypokalemia-induced ventricular arrhythmogenicity

Molecular Basis of Hypokalemia-Induced Ventricular Fibrillation Running title: Pezhouman et al.; Hypokalemia-induced ventricular fibrillation

Molecular Basis of Hypokalemia-Induced Ventricular Fibrillation.

BACKGROUND Hypokalemia is known to promote ventricular arrhythmias, especially in combination with class III antiarrhythmic drugs like dofetilide. Here, we evaluated the underlying molecular mechanisms. METHODS AND RESULTS Arrhythmias were recorded in isolated rabbit and rat hearts or patch-clamped ventricular myocytes exposed to hypokalemia (1.0-3.5 mmol/L) in the absence or presence of dofe...

Ritodrine-Induced Hypokalemia

A 31-year-old woman presented with chest discomfort in the 22nd week of pregnancy. She had been treated with an intravenous infusion of ritodrine hydrochloride (0.25 mg/min) for preterm labor the prior day. On physical examination, the body temperature was 36.3°C, the blood pressure was 117/68 mmHg, the pulse was 96 beats/min, and the respiratory rate was 20 breaths/min. Electrocardiography (EC...

Ondansetron-Induced Life Threatening Hypokalemia.

Ondansetron is widely used in general practice for nausea and vomiting due to any cause. We report a rare side effect, life-threatening hypokalaemia following intravenous Ondansetron injection. It may be judicious to restrict the use of Odansetron to patients with severe vomiting due to chemotherapy or in post-operative state. Life-threatening hypokalemia can occur without any warning and may b...

Hypokalemia-induced ultrastructural, histochemical and connexin-43 alterations resulting in atrial and ventricular fibrillations.

Perfusion of the isolated guinea pig heart with hypokalemic solution provide simple model for examination of the molecular mechanisms involved in the incidence of atrial and/or ventricular fibrillations. The results point out that dispersion of the metabolic and subcellular alterations and heterogenously impaired intercellular coupling might account for electrical disturbances and desynchroniza...