Faculty Collaboration Database

Bromocriptine treatment of digitalis-induced ventricular tachyarrhythmias: studies in a canine model. J Am Coll Cardiol 1984 Dec;4(6):1188-94

Date

12/01/1984

Pubmed ID

6501720

DOI

10.1016/s0735-1097(84)80137-0

Abstract

Ventricular tachyarrhythmias associated with digitalis toxicity are believed to be due, in part, to cardiac glycoside-mediated increased central sympathetic neural activity. Because dopaminergic receptor agonists reduce sympathetic outflow, this study assessed effectiveness of the available dopaminergic agonist, bromocriptine, in slowing or terminating ouabain-induced ventricular tachycardia in anesthetized dogs. In all experiments, ouabain was administered intravenously (20 micrograms/kg body weight bolus injection, followed by 2.5 micrograms/kg per min infusion) until the onset of stable ventricular tachycardia. Of seven untreated dogs (Group 1), ouabain-induced ventricular tachyarrhythmias resulted in ventricular fibrillation in three, while in four dogs tachycardia persisted without significant change in rate until the study was terminated. Fourteen dogs (Group 2) received bromocriptine, either 30 micrograms/kg (Group 2A) or 50 micrograms/kg (Group 2B), after the onset of ventricular tachycardia. Tachycardia slowed in all 14 dogs and terminated with resumption of sinus rhythm in 8 of the 14. In all six dogs pretreated with the peripheral dopaminergic antagonist domperidone (Group 3), bromocriptine, 50 micrograms/kg, slowed ventricular tachycardia and in three of the six, tachycardia terminated. In contrast, of five dogs pretreated with haloperidol, a central and peripheral dopaminergic receptor antagonist (Group 4), bromocriptine, 50 micrograms/kg, failed to slow ventricular tachycardia in three, and two of the three developed ventricular fibrillation. In summary, the dopaminergic receptor agonist, bromocriptine, presumably acting at central dopaminergic receptor sites, consistently slowed and in most cases reversed ouabain-induced ventricular tachycardia in a canine model.

Author List

Kao A, Kriett JM, Tobler HG, Detloff BL, Pritzker MR, Benson DW Jr, Benditt DG

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Animals
Blood Pressure
Bromocriptine
Dogs
Domperidone
Female
Haloperidol
Male
Ouabain
Premedication
Receptors, Dopamine
Tachycardia
Ventricular Fibrillation