Effects of Nicorandil Administration on Survival Rate and Arrhythmias during Reperfusion in Anesthetized Rabbits

• Published in: Pharmacology Vol. 63; no. 3; pp. 134 - 141
• Main Authors: Das, Biswadeep, Sarkar, Chayna, Karanth, K. Sudhakar
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland S. Karger AG 01.01.2001
• Subjects: Anesthesia; Animals; Anti-Arrhythmia Agents - pharmacology; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - etiology; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - mortality; Arrhythmias, Cardiac - prevention & control; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Heart Rate - drug effects; Male; Myocardial Ischemia - complications; Nicorandil - pharmacology; Original Paper; Rabbits; Reperfusion Injury - complications; Survival Rate; Time Factors; Tolbutamide - pharmacology; Reperfusion arrhythmia; Nicorandil; KATP channel; Coronary occlusion; Anesthetized rabbit
• ISSN: 0031-7012; 1423-0313
• DOI: 10.1159/000056124

The aim was to study the effects of nicorandil (an ATP-sensitive K + channel opener) and tolbutamide (an ATP-sensitive K + channel blocker) on reperfusion-induced arrhythmias in pentobarbitone and ketamine anesthetized rabbits. Arrhythmias were induced by reperfusion for 20 min following a 15-min ligation of the left main coronary artery with a silk ligature. Rabbits were pretreated with nicorandil (0.47, 0.93 or 1.86 mg/kg i.v.) or tolbutamide (180 mg/kg i.p.) or vehicle (dimethylsulfoxide/saline) before the coronary artery occlusion. In the control group (n = 10), only 60% of the animals survived during reperfusion. Intravenous pretreatment with 0.47, 0.93 or 1.86 mg/kg of nicorandil increased the survival rate to 86% (n = 7), 75% (n = 8) and 86% (n = 7), respectively. Nicorandil pretreatment significantly decreased the incidence and duration of reperfusion-induced life-threatening arrhythmias and increased the number of animals that survived without developing any arrhythmia. Tolbutamide pretreatment was associated with a decreased survival rate of 50% (n = 12) and an increase in the incidence and duration of reperfusion-induced arrhythmias. Pretreatment with nicorandil may result in protection against reperfusion-induced arrhythmias and increased survival in anesthetized rabbits.