Minimal effective concentration values of propafenone and 5-hydroxy-propafenone in acute and chronic therapy

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Abstract
We evaluated the antiarrhythmic efficacy and the minimal effective concentrations of propafenone and its metabolite 5-hydroxy-propafenone during a) acute intravenous infusion (1.5 mg/kg in bolus followed by 45 minutes infusion), b) an acute oral single-dose test (450 mg), and c) 14-day chronic therapy (300 mg tid) followed by a washout. Oxidative metabolism was assessed by a debrisoquine oral test in every patient. Eleven patients with stable ventricular premature beats (VPBs)≥300/hr and Lown class ≥ 3 completed the study. The main results emphasized a certain discrepancy between the clinical effect of the acute intravenous infusion (efficacy in 5 out of 11 patients) and of the acute oral test and chronic therapy (efficacy in 11/11), with a time lag of the ECG changes during the acute intravenous infusion. The minimal effective concentrations were lower after acute oral administration compared with chronic treatment both for propafenone (200±189 ng/ml vs. 492±530 ng/ml; p<0.05) and for 5-hydroxy-propafenone (82±40 ng/ml vs. 149±80 ng/ml; p<0.02). A linear correlation was demonstrated between drug/metabolite ratios of propafenone and debrisoquine, either after acute oral (r=0.91) or after chronic administration (r=0.84). The pharmacokinetics of propafenone was nonlinear and showed wide interindividual variations. In conclusion, a) the lower efficacy and delayed electrophysiologic effects of propafenone after intravenous administration suggest that longer infusion times are necessary for complete antiarrhythmic efficacy; b) the differences observed in the minimal effective concentrations of acute versus chronic oral therapy suggest the development of partial tolerance to propafenone during chronic treatment.