Immunological Protection Against Ajmaline Toxicity

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Abstract
In search for an effective treatment of human poisonings with ajmaline, a potent antiarrhythmic drug, the use of specific antibodies as neutralizing agents was explored in a preliminary animal model. New Zealand white rabbits were immunized with the antigen obtained after coupling the 17-hemisuccinate ester of ajmaline-21-acetate to bovine serum albumin; other rabbits were immunized with the protein carrier only. While 7 control rabbits receiving 0.625 mg/kg per min ajmaline i.v. until death died within 54.8 .+-. 5.2 min, death was delayed until 137.7 .+-. 15.5 min in 7 ajmaline bovine serum albumin-immunized rabbits (P < 0.001). Three bovine serum albumin-immunized rabbits act as controls. An immunological protection against ajmaline toxicity was obtained in the animal model.