Effects of lignocaine and propranolol on experimental cardiac arrhythmias

Abstract

1 The effects of intravenous injection of lignocaine and propranolol were studied in dogs. 2 Ventricular ectopic beats produced by intravenous injection of adrenaline in anaesthetized dogs respired with halothane were abolished in four out of six dogs by lignocaine. Propranolol was effective in all three dogs tested. 3 Intravenous infusion of lignocaine at (0·2 and 1·0 mg/kg)/min to total doses of 3·0 ± 1·0 and 2·2 ± 0·5 mg/kg, respectively, abolished the ventricular tachycardia produced in anaesthetized dogs by ouabain. A similar effect was produced by infusion of propranolol at (0·2 mg/kg)/min to a total dose of 1·9 ± 0·4 mg/kg. Intravenous injection of single doses of lignocaine (4·0–8·0 mg/kg) also abolished the arrhythmia. 4 The frequency of the ventricular ectopic beats occurring in conscious dogs 20–44 h after ligation of the anterior descending branch of the left coronary artery was reduced, with an increase in the number of sinus beats, after intravenous injection of lignocaine (8·0 mg/kg). Larger doses produced excitement. Propranolol (4·0 mg/kg) had a greater effect than the same dose of lignocaine but after 8·0 mg/kg, three of the four dogs died. 5 Propranolol was more effective than lignocaine in abolishing the three different types of arrhythmia. 6 Dose-response curves showed that lignocaine was more active in abolishing the ouabain induced arrhythmia than the halothane-adrenaline arrhythmia and was least active on the arrhythmia caused by ligation of the coronary artery.