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Cardiac electrophysiology of four neuroleptics: Melperone, haloperidol, thioridazine and chlorpromazine

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Summary

The effect of melperone on the isolated guinea-pig papillary muscle were compared with those of three other neuroleptics-haloperidol, thioridazine and chlorpromazine. At 10−6 M only melperone prolonged the effective refractory period without reducing contractility. With melperone in the concentration 10−5 M and less, no further changes other than a homogeneous prolongation of the action potential were found.

Haloperidol at 10−6 M caused a prolongation of the action potential, a flattening of the repolarization phase and a 40% decrease in contractile force. At 10−5 M haloperidol reduced the resting potential (RP), the action potential amplitude (AP), the maximum upstroke velocity (MUV) of the action potential and the contractile force.

Thioridazine at 10−6 M reduced MUV and the contractile force. At 10−5 M thioridazine decreased the overshoot and a very pronounced decrease in MUV was registered. A flattening in the repolarization phase was seen from 10−6M.

Chlorpromazine at 10−6 M reduced MUV, contractile force and caused a flattening of the repolarization phase. At 10−5 M chlorpromazine decreased the overshoot and the RP and caused a very pronounced decrease in the MUV.

Thus, melperone differed from the other compounds in the ability to induce homogeneous prolongations of the action potential and the effective refractory period without affecting the contractility. (Antiarrhythmic activity of type III of Vaughan-Williams, 1970.)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoophysiology, University of Lund, Helgonavägen 3B, S-223 62, Lund, Sweden

    Per Arlock

  2. Department of Statistics, University of Lund, Getingevägen 8, S-220 05, Lund, Sweden

    Bo Gullberg

  3. AB Ferrosan, P.O. Box, S-201 10, Malmö 1, Sweden

    Sven-Olle R. Olsson

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  1. Per Arlock
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Arlock, P., Gullberg, B. & Olsson, SO.R. Cardiac electrophysiology of four neuroleptics: Melperone, haloperidol, thioridazine and chlorpromazine. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 304, 27–36 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00501374

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