Antiarrhythmic Effect of Aprindine on Several Types of Ventricular Arrhythmias

Abstract

The antiarrhythmic effect of aprindine was compared with those of lidocaine and propranolol on several ventricular arrhythmias-epinephrine arrhythmias in cats, ouabain arrhythmias in cats and guinea pigs, ischemic ventricular arrhythmias in coronary-ligated Beagle dogs. Antiarrhythmic effects of aprindine and lidocaine were observed both in ouagain and ischemic arrhythmias, but not in epinephrine arrhythmias. While propranolol had a strong antiarrhythmic effect against epinephrine and ouabain arrhythmias, it did not increase sinus beats in ischemic arrhythmias. Marked anti-arrhythmic effects of aprindine in ischemic arrhythmias were observed in dogs using either single intravenous administration (4 mg/kg) or intravenous infusion (200 mug/kg/min, 2 mg/kg). Antiarrhythmic activity of aprindine is considered to be about twice as strong as that of lidocaine, but lidocaine is less toxic in experimental animals.