Effect of Quinacrine Hydrochloride (Atabrine) on Isolated Mammalian Heart

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Abstract
Twelve heart-lung prepns. of dogs were made and recordings were taken of arterial pressure, right auricular pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure, heart rate, systemic output; and, in some expts., heart vol., coronary sinus flow, and ECG were followed. Atabrine produced impairment of contractility, leading to a rise of venous pressure and a decrease in cardiac output. Transient reversal was effected with epinephrine and more sustained reversal with cardiac glycosides. The cardiac effects of atabrine began to appear in the range of 1.0-1.5 mg./l. of whole blood. The toxicity of a given amt. of atabrine was directly related to its speed of injn. Observations were made on the rate of disappearance of atabrine from the circulating blood of the heart-lung prepn. In one expt., only 4.5% of the amt. administered remained after 50 mins. of continuous infusion at .5 mg./min. It is suggested that toxic levels may be obtained during injudicious intraven. admn. of atabrine.

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