Catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia (CPVT) is an inherited arrhythmogenic cardiac disorder characterized by life-threatening arrhythmias induced by physical or emotional stress, in the absence structural heart abnormalities. The arrhythmias may cause syncope or degenerate into cardiac arrest and sudden death which usually occurs during childhood. Recent studies have shown that...

Doxorubicin, in concentrations that have no effect on fast or slow response action potentials, has been shown to suppress ouabain-induced delayed afterdepolarizations. In this study, we used standard microelectrode techniques to determine the effects of doxorubicin on isolated canine Purkinje fibers. We studied automaticity induced at normal and low membrane potentials, conduction in normal and...

We have investigated the possibility that xanthine oxidase-linked free radical production has a role in the genesis of arrhythmias during ischemia and reperfusion. In this study, rats were treated with allopurinol (20 mg/kg, orally, 24 hours before study, plus 20 mg/kg, iv, 15 minutes prior to study). Using an anesthetized open-chest preparation with either coronary artery occlusion for 30 minu...

OBJECTIVE Digitalis preparations are commonly used by children and adults with heart diseases worldwide, although excessive doses may cause cardiac effects. The aim of the study is to evaluate the antiarrhythmic effect of Crataegus oxyacantha extract on digoxin-induced arrhythmias in anesthetized Wistar rats. METHODS Control and experimental groups were evaluated for arrhythmias induced by di...

UNLABELLED Whether sex affects the acute phase of myocardial ischemia in experimental animal models is currently being debated. Our purpose was to determine if sex influences either the incidence or severity of reperfusion-induced arrhythmias resulting from a brief coronary occlusion. Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned to the study. Anesthetized animals were subjected to a 5-minu...

BACKGROUND Glucagon-like peptide-1 and its receptor agonist-exendin-4 (Ex-4) have been shown to provide beneficial effects for cardiovascular diseases. This study investigated the effects of Ex-4 on ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias in rats. METHODS Anesthetized male rats were once treated with Ex-4 (5 μg/kg, i.v.) 1 h before ischemia in the absence and/or presence of 5-hydroxydecanoic...

Electrocardiograms and electrograms were recorded in 18 dogs anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital. Using endocardial and epicardial plunge wire electrodes in normal and ischemic or infarcted areas, activation of Purkinje and regular muscle tissue was studied within the first 20-30 minutes and 24 hours after anterior descending coronary artery ligation. The ventricular arrhythmias in the first...