ajmaline and Heart-Diseases

1. The following changes may be observed in the resting ECG of Wistar rats having different forms of heart disease: pathological Q wave, QRS deviations, lengthening of both P wave and QRS complex, increased PR interval and J point alterations. 2. The ajmaline test, when applied to rats with myocardial disease but with normal resting ECG, presented the following ECG alterations which were not observed in normal rats: indeterminate axis (QRS axis in the 3rd space), increased PR interval and lengthening of both P wave and QRS complex. 3. When compared with histopathological studies, the ECG changes have a high positive predictive value for detecting underlying myocardial disease. 4. The surface ECG can be a useful tool for detecting myocardial disease in different experimental models of rat heart disease. It can also be used to characterize rat models of heart disease and to evaluate treatment of experimental rat heart disease.

Topics: Ajmaline; Animals; Electrocardiography; Heart Diseases; Heart Rate; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Sensitivity and Specificity

The antiarrhythmic efficacy of tocainide, a new antiarrhythmic substance, has been compared with that of prajmalium bitartrate, a drug in clinical use for many years in the German speaking countries. The investigation was performed as a double-blind cross-over study in 20 patients with ventricular arrhythmias (VA) of various origin. The efficacy was assessed by serial Holter monitoring. Plasma levels were measured to study the dose-effect relationship. Applying to the criterion of a reduction of VA of more than 75% or an improvement according to the Lown grading 8 pts. under tocainide and 7 under prajmalium bitartrate were responders. Side effects were few and under tocainide only 2 pts. had to discontinue the therapy. From the present findings tocainide and prajmalium bitartrate have the same efficient antiarrhythmic effects in the majority of patients.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Ajmaline; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Clinical Trials as Topic; Double-Blind Method; Electrocardiography; Female; Heart Diseases; Humans; Lidocaine; Male; Middle Aged; Prajmaline; Tocainide

Brugada syndrome (BS) is an electrical cardiac disorder with a right bundle branch block and ST segment elevation in leads V1 to V3 on surface electrocardiograms (ECGs), and is a syndrome that may lead to sudden cardiac death.. The aim of the present study was to screen for mutations in the SCN5A gene in a family with BS, and to characterize the consequences of the mutation on channel function.. A heterozygous nonsense SCN5A mutation (W822X) was identified in the index patient. The mutation was confirmed in the patient's asymptomatic 16-year-old brother and 48-year-old father. The mutation was absent in the index patient's sister and mother. The ECG of the index patient showed a BS type 2 ECG phenotype, which converted into a type 1 ECG phenotype in the presence of flecainide. The ECG of the patient's brother was not typical for BS, but ajmaline treatment unmasked a type 1 ECG phenotype. The ECG of the asymptomatic father was normal at baseline and in the presence of ajmaline. No Na+ currents could be measured in tsA201 cells transfected with W822X mutant channels. Heterozygote expression showed a nearly 50% reduction in Na+ current amplitude with no significant alterations of biophysical properties, indicating a loss of functional Na+ channels, obviously without any dominant-negative activity on wild type channels.. The haploinsufficiency of the Nav1.5 protein is the plausible explanation for the clinical BS phenotype in this family. Because the heterozygous W822X mutation theoretically leads to channel expression at one-half of the normal level, the authors suggest that a modifier gene may influence or rescue the phenotype in the asymptomatic family members.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Ajmaline; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Bundle-Branch Block; Cell Line; Codon, Nonsense; Death, Sudden, Cardiac; Electrocardiography; Female; Heart Diseases; Humans; Male; Microscopy, Fluorescence; Middle Aged; Molecular Biology; Muscle Proteins; Mutagenesis; NAV1.5 Voltage-Gated Sodium Channel; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Pedigree; Phenotype; Sodium Channels; Syndrome; Transfection

The acute effect of ajmaline was investigated in the treatment of postoperative ventricular arrhythmias. Ajmaline (Glurytmal--Giulini Pharma GMBH) was applied intravenously in 15 patients suffering from ventricular premature beats (Lown II--IV/b), tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation after open heart surgery. Ajmaline infusion produced in 40% of the cases a total suppression and in 100% a significant improvement of malignant ventricular arrhythmia. In patients with recurrent and resistant ventricular tachycardia, ajmaline proved effective even when other antiarrhythmic drugs had failed. It was shown to be effective in reducing ventricular premature contractions and recurrent ventricular tachycardia after heart surgery, without haemodynamic side effects. Because of recurrent ventricular premature beats in 11 patients after acute ajmaline administration further oral application of prajmalium bitartarate (Neo-Gilurytmal) was necessary. The maintenance of these patients on oral ajmaline treatment seemed important.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Ajmaline; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Child; Female; Heart Conduction System; Heart Diseases; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications

Topics: Ajmaline; Heart Diseases; Humans

Topics: Adult; Aged; Ajmaline; Female; Heart Diseases; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Sinoatrial Node

Topics: Adult; Aged; Ajmaline; Coronary Disease; Electrocardiography; Female; Heart Block; Heart Diseases; Humans; Male; Middle Aged

Topics: Action Potentials; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Ajmaline; Bunaftine; Coronary Disease; Diabetes Mellitus; Digoxin; Electrocardiography; Female; Heart; Heart Diseases; Heart Ventricles; Humans; Hypertension; Male; Middle Aged; Ventricular Function

Topics: Adult; Aged; Ajmaline; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Atrial Fibrillation; Atrial Flutter; Coronary Disease; Female; Heart Diseases; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Male; Middle Aged; Tachycardia

Topics: Administration, Oral; Ajmaline; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Drug Therapy, Combination; Electrocardiography; Heart Diseases; Humans; Injections, Intravenous; Lidocaine; Phenytoin; Practolol; Procainamide; Sparteine

Topics: Ajmaline; Alkaloids; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cardiology; Heart Diseases; Rauwolfia

Topics: Ajmaline; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Cardiac Catheterization; Heart Diseases; Humans; Rauwolfia; Secologanin Tryptamine Alkaloids