flunarizine and Ventricular-Fibrillation

What is the central question of this study? Can successful electrical shock in combination with a delayed after-depolarization (DAD) blocker suppress early refibrillation episodes following long duration ventricular fibrillation (LDVF)? What is the main finding and its importance? Flunarizine significantly reduced the activation of LDVF and early ventricular fibrillation (VF) recurrence following LDVF, suggesting that DADs potentially contribute to refibrillation in prolonged VF. Thus, DAD inhibition can be used as an adjunctive therapy for electrical defibrillation to treat prolonged VF and suppress refibrillation following LDVF.. This study attempts to detect changes in the defibrillation threshold (DFT) at different stages of ventricular fibrillation (VF) (short duration VF, SDVF; long duration VF, LDVF) and during early refibrillation following successful defibrillation of LDVF by giving flunarizine, a blocker of delayed after-depolarizations (DADs). Twelve beagles were divided into two groups (the control group, n = 6; and the flunarizine group, n = 6). Two 64-electrode basket catheters were deployed into the left and the right ventricles for global endocardium mapping. The DFTs of SDVF and LDVF were determined at 20 s and 7 min, respectively, after VF induction in each group. Any refibrillation episodes were recorded within 15 min after the first successful defibrillation of LDVF. In the flunarizine group, the SDVF-DFT values before and after the drug were not significantly different. The 7 min LDVF-DFTs were markedly reduced by 26% (P < 0.05, the control group) and 38% (P < 0.01, the flunarizine group) compared to the 20 s SDVF-DFTs within each group. The difference between SDVF-DFT and LDVF-DFT after flunarizine was larger than that in the control group (213 ± 65 vs. 120 ± 84 V, P < 0.05). The number of refibrillation episodes per animal (1.3 ± 1.0) following successful defibrillation of LDVF after flunarizine was 48% of that in controls (2.7 ± 2.0, P < 0.05). The effect of flunarizine on SDVF-DFT and LDVF-DFT indicates that the role of DADs in the defibrillation mechanism may differ as VF continues. Flunarizine significantly reduced early VF recurrence following LDVF, suggesting that DADs potentially contribute to refibrillation in a canine model of prolonged VF.

Topics: Animals; Arrhythmias, Cardiac; Disease Models, Animal; Dogs; Electric Countershock; Endocardium; Female; Flunarizine; Heart Ventricles; Male; Time Factors; Ventricular Fibrillation

Previous studies showed that endocardial activation during long-duration ventricular fibrillation (VF) exhibits organized activity. We identified and quantified the different types of organized activity.. Two 64-electrode basket catheters were inserted, respectively, into the left ventricle and right ventricle of dogs to record endocardial activation from the endocardium during 7 minutes of VF (controls, n=6). The study was repeated with the K(ATP) channel opener pinacidil (n=6) and the calcium channel blocker flunarizine (n=6). After 2 minutes of VF without drugs, 2 highly organized left ventricular endocardial activation patterns were observed: (1) ventricular electric synchrony pattern, in which endocardial activation arose focally and either had a propagation sequence similar to sinus rhythm or arose near papillary muscles, and (2) stable pattern, in which activation was regular and repeatable, sometimes forming a stable re-entrant circuit around the left ventricular apex. Between 3 and 7 minutes of VF, the percent of time ventricular electric synchrony was present was control=25%, flunarizine=24% (P=0.44), and pinacidil=0.1% (P<0.001) and the percent of time stable pattern was present was control=71%, flunarizine=48% (P<0.001), and pinacidil=56% (P<0.001). The remainder of the time, nonstable re-entrant activation with little repeatability was present.. After 3 minutes, VF exhibits 2 highly organized endocardial activation patterns 96% of the time, one potentially arising focally in the Purkinje system that was prevented with a K(ATP) channel opener but not a calcium channel blocker and the other potentially arising from a stable re-entrant circuit near the apical left ventricular endocardium.

Topics: Animals; Calcium Channel Blockers; Death, Sudden, Cardiac; Dogs; Electrophysiologic Techniques, Cardiac; Endocardium; Female; Flunarizine; Heart Conduction System; KATP Channels; Male; Pinacidil; Purkinje Fibers; Ventricular Fibrillation

Earliest postshock activation following failed defibrillation shocks slightly lower than the defibrillation threshold (DFT) in large animals appears to arise from a focus. We tested the hypothesis that these foci are caused by early or delayed afterdepolarizations (EADs or DADs) by performing epicardial electrical mapping and giving the EAD inhibitor pinacidil or the DAD inhibitor flunarizine to see if the foci were extinguished or altered in timing or location.. A sock containing 504 electrodes was placed over the entire ventricular epicardium of 12 open-chested pigs. After the DFT was determined and additional shocks given, pinacidil was administered to 6 pigs and flunarizine to 6 pigs. Then, the DFT was again determined and additional shocks were given. Pinacidil significantly shortened the effective refractory period (ERP) (162 +/- 16 vs 130 +/- 28 msec) and action potential duration (APD(90)) (179 +/- 6 vs 149 +/- 19 msec) and significantly increased the peak frequency of the power spectrum of a left ventricle (LV) electrode during ventricular fibrillation (VF) (9.3 +/- 0.6 vs 10.5 +/- 1.0 Hz), while flunarizine did not significantly alter the ERP (162 +/- 8 vs 167 +/- 18 msec) or APD(90) (187 +/- 12 vs 191 +/- 20) but significantly reduced the peak frequency (9.2 +/- 0.5 vs 7.5 +/- 1.0 Hz). These findings suggest the drugs had their expected electrophysiological effects. However, the DFT was not significantly changed by either drug. Following the same strength shock 10% below the predrug DFT, earliest postshock activation arose in a focal epicardial pattern from the anterior-apical LV both before and after the drugs. The time from the shock until the appearance of this activation was not significantly different before and after either drug.. The lack of change in DFT as well as the lack of change in the incidence, location, and timing of the postshock focus with sub-DFT strength shocks before and after pinacidil and flunarizine provide evidence that these foci are not caused by triggered activity.

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Electric Countershock; Electrocardiography; Electrodes; Endocardium; Flunarizine; Pinacidil; Swine; Vasodilator Agents; Ventricular Fibrillation

Topics: Animals; Electric Countershock; Electrocardiography; Electrodes; Endocardium; Flunarizine; Pinacidil; Swine; Vasodilator Agents; Ventricular Fibrillation

Electrical and optical mapping studies of defibrillation have demonstrated that following shocks of strength near the defibrillation threshold (DFT), the first several postshock cycles always arise focally. No immediate postshock reentry was observed. Delayed afterdepolarizations (DADs) have been suggested as a possible cause of this rapid repetitive postshock activity. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that DFT is decreased by application of a DAD inhibitor.. Six pigs (30-35 kg) were studied. First, control DFT was determined using a three-reversal up/down protocol. Each shock (RV-SVC, biphasic, 6/4 msec) was delivered after 10 seconds of ventricular fibrillation (VF). Then, flunarizine (a DAD inhibitor) was injected intravenously (2 mg/kg bolus and 4 mg/kg/hour maintenance) and the DFT was again determined. A third DFT was determined 50 minutes after drug infusion was terminated to allow the drug to wash out. DFT after flunarizine application (520 +/- 90 V, 14 +/- 3 J) was significantly lower than control DFT (663 +/- 133 V, 23 +/- 4 J). After the drug washed out, DFT (653 +/- 107 V, 22 +/- 4 J) returned to the control DFT value (P = 0.6). Flunarizine reduced the DFT approximately 22% by leading-edge voltage and approximately 40% by energy.. Flunarizine, a DAD inhibitor, significantly improved defibrillation efficacy. This finding suggests that DADs could be the source of the rapid repetitive focal activation cycles arising after failed near-DFT shocks before degeneration back into VF. Future studies are needed to investigate the cause of the earliest postshock activation and to determine if the DADs are responsible.

Topics: Animals; Blood Pressure; Electric Countershock; Electric Impedance; Female; Flunarizine; Heart Conduction System; Heart Ventricles; Male; Models, Animal; Models, Cardiovascular; Swine; Systole; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome; Vasodilator Agents; Ventricular Fibrillation

Ventricular arrhythmias are a common feature in patients with mitral valve prolapse. In an attempt to determine the origin and underlying electrophysiologic mechanism, we describe a patient with ventricular fibrillation, exercise-induced ventricular tachycardia (VT), and, at the time of diagnosis, prolapse of the posterior mitral valve leaflet without mitral regurgitation.. Treatment with beta-blockade and diphenylhydantoin prevented the occurrence of malignant ventricular arrhythmias for more than 17 years. Discontinuation of the therapy resulted in an immediate reappearance of the VT, which, despite the marked enlargement of the left ventricle (secondary to development of severe mitral valve regurgitation), had a strikingly similar morphology. For hemodynamic reasons, the patient was finally selected for valve replacement. Detailed pre-, peri-, and postoperative studies were performed, including administration of flunarizine, body surface mapping, construction of perioperative epicardial and endocardial maps, and studies of the excised muscles in vitro.. Delayed afterdepolarization-induced triggered activity is the mechanism of VT in this mitral valve prolapse patient. The trigger is provided by isolated ventricular premature complexes elicited by a different electrophysiologic mechanism, possibly reentry, which is related to stretch and presumably to fibrosis of the papillary muscles.

Topics: Adult; Electrocardiography; Exercise Test; Flunarizine; Heart Valve Prosthesis; Humans; Male; Mitral Valve; Mitral Valve Prolapse; Tachycardia, Ventricular; Ventricular Fibrillation; Ventricular Premature Complexes

Elevations in intracellular calcium during myocardial ischemia have been implicated in the development of lethal cardiac arrhythmias. The calcium antagonist, flunarizine, has been shown to suppress the accumulation of intracellular calcium and has been proposed to protect against triggered activity due to calcium overload. Using 13 mongrel dogs with healed myocardial infarctions, ventricular fibrillation (VF) was induced by a 2 min coronary occlusion during exercise. This exercise plus ischemia test consistently induced VF during control (C, vehicle) presentations. Pretreatment with flunarizine (2.5 mg/kg i.v.) completely suppressed VF in all the animals (P less than 0.001 Chi-squared). Flunarizine (F) elicited significant (P less than 0.01 ANOVA) reductions in left ventricular (LV) systolic pressure (C 143.2 +/- 12.0 F 92.3 +/- 10.5 mm Hg), LVdP/dt max (C 4256 +/- 251.9, F 1784 +/- 297.2 mm Hg/s) and heart rate (C 118.8 +/- 7.4, F 104.7 +/- 9.0 beats/min). Since heart rate can contribute significantly to the development of VF, the exercise plus ischemia test was repeated with heart rate held constant with ventricular pacing (n = 3, 230.0 +/- 10 beats/min). Flunarizine pretreatment still prevented VF under these conditions.

Topics: Animals; Dogs; Flunarizine; Heart Rate; Hemodynamics; Ventricular Fibrillation

In Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts, ventricular fibrillation threshold (VFT) was measured by applying rectangular impulses of 3ms duration at a frequency of 20Hz. Perfusion with 0.2 and 0.4 microM of flunarizine or 0.2 microM of lidoflazine produced a significant rise in VFT. When the hearts were perfused with higher concentrations of either drug (0.8 microM flunarizine, 0.4 and 0.8 microM lidoflazine), VFT did not continue to increase in a dose-dependent manner but rather a smaller increase in VFT than the previous dose was observed. Both drugs caused significant decrease in the spontaneous heart rate and amplitude of contraction of the isolated rabbit heart. In the Langendorff-perfused guinea pig heart, perfusion with 0.8 microM of flunarizine produced complete protection against ouabain-induced ventricular fibrillation while 7 out of 7 and 1 out of 6 hearts fibrillated in the presence of 0.2 and 0.4 microM of the drug respectively. During perfusion with 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 microM of lidoflazine the incidence of ventricular fibrillation was 3 out of 6, and 5 out of 7 hearts respectively. These results may indicate a limited effectiveness of these 2 calcium entry blockers against ventricular fibrillation.

Topics: Animals; Female; Flunarizine; Guinea Pigs; Heart Rate; Lidoflazine; Male; Ouabain; Perfusion; Rabbits; Ventricular Fibrillation