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A neurally mediated inotropic effect of veratridine and cevadine on isolated guinea-pig papillary muscle

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Summary

The positive inotropic effect of veratridine and cevadine was investigated in the isolated, isometrically contracting guinea-pig papillary muscle. The increase of the force of the rested-state contraction, elicited after incubation of the resting muscle with veratridine or cevadine, served as a measure of the neurally mediated, sympathomimetic effect of these alkaloids. Concentrations exceeding 5 μmol/l veratridine or 15 μmol/l cevadine produced concentration-dependent increases of the force of the rested-state contraction. These concentrations are larger than those causing the maximum positive inotropic effect on muscles contracting continually at a rate of 1 Hz. The positive inotropic effect of 30 μmol/l veratridine as manifested by the rested-state contraction was absent in the presence of 100 nmol/l tetrodotoxin and in muscles from reserpine-pretreated animals. It was significantly inhibited by 50 nmol/l (−)-propranolol, but not by the same concentration of (+)-propranolol. The effect of 30 or 60 μmol/l cevadine was likewise absent in catecholamine-depleted preparations. It is concluded that the indirect inotropic effect of veratridine or cevadine, which is attributed to their noradrenaline-releasing effect on intracardiac nerves, requires higher concentrations than the direct positive inotropic effect, which is a consequence of the increased transsarcolemmal influx of Na ions into the myocardial cell.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Pharmakologie und Toxikologie der Technischen Universität München, Biedersteiner Strasse 29, D-8000, München 40, Federal Republic of Germany

    P. Honerjäger

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  1. P. Honerjäger
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These results were communicated to the Deutsche Pharmakologische Gesellschaft (Honerjäger 1977)

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Honerjäger, P. A neurally mediated inotropic effect of veratridine and cevadine on isolated guinea-pig papillary muscle. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 314, 157–160 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00504532

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00504532

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