Sulfinpyrazone and aspirin increase epicardial coronary collateral flow in dogs

A protective effect of sulphinpyrazone against coronary occlusion-induced shortening of myocardial refractory periods in the rat

The hearts of anaesthetized, artificially ventilated rats were exposed, and the left coronary artery occluded. The diastolic threshold voltage for stimulation (DTV), the duration of the bipolar electrogram (DBE) and the functional refractory period (FRP) of the ischaemic area were measured at minute intervals for an hour after occlusion. Coronary occlusion caused a rise in DTV, a prolongation of the DBE and a biphasic change in the FRP, with an initial prolongation phase (1-4 min) followed by a decline to below pre-occlusion values (5-15 min). Episodes of ventricular tachyarrhythmia (VT) were most frequent during the period 5-15 min after the onset of occlusion of the coronary artery. This coincided with the period when FRP was minimal and the difference between DBE and FRP was maximal. Pretreatment of rats with sulphinpyrazone (2.5-40 mg kg-1) or indomethacin (5-20 mg kg-1) protected against the episodes of coronary occlusion-induced VT and against the associated decline in FRP of the ischaemic muscle. Sulphinpyrazone was more effective than indomethacin in this respect and a combination of the two drugs was approximately as effective as sulphinpyrazone alone. It was concluded that sulphinpyrazone protects rats against coronary occlusion-induced episodes of VT by reducing the risk of ventricular action potential re-entry. This effect is probably due to protection against the ischaemia-induced shortening of the myocardial FRP.

A direct protective effect of sulphinpyrazone on ischaemic and reperfused rat hearts

Initiation of 60 min ischaemia to rat isolated hearts produced a depression in developed tension and heart rate. Subsequent reperfusion caused a greatly exacerbated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) efflux and limited functional recovery. Sulphinpyrazone (100 ng ml-1 and 1 microgram ml-1) significantly reduced CPK release, particularly after reperfusion, the lower concentration being more effective. A reduction in the mechanical depression during ischaemia and enhanced recovery after reperfusion were seen only with 100 ng ml-1 sulphinpyrazone. Heart rate and coronary perfusion pressure were unaffected by drug treatment. The reduction in reperfusion-induced CPK efflux by 100 ng ml-1 sulphinpyrazone was maximal when the drug was present throughout the perfusion period although some protection was evident when sulphinpyrazone was present either during ischaemia or reperfusion only. An enhanced recovery in contractility was seen only when the drug was present throughout all phases of perfusion. It is suggested that sulphinpyrazone exerts a direct protective effect on the heart particularly during reperfusion. The degree of protection is critically dependent on the concentration of sulphinpyrazone.

Effect of BW755C in an occlusion-reperfusion model of ischemic myocardial injury

BW755C is a new antiinflammatory agent which predominantly inhibits lipoxygenase over cyclooxygenase. Effects of BW755C have been examined in a canine, occlusion-reperfusion, model of ischemic myocardial injury. In pentobarbital anesthetized open-chest dogs, the proximal left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) was occluded for 90 minutes and slowly reperfused using a micrometer-driven occluder. Thirty minutes before occlusion, animals randomly received BW755C, 3 mg/kg (n = 7), or 10 mg/kg (n = 8), or saline (n = 16) by intravenous infusion. The thoracotomy was closed and the animals subsequently were killed at 24 hours. Infarct size and anatomic area dependent on the occluded LCX were determined by a dual staining technique using triphenyltetrazolium and Evan's blue. Both doses of BW755C significantly reduced the ultimate extent of irreversible myocardial ischemic injury, whether results were expressed as grams of infarcted tissue or as percent of risk region infarcted. No difference in risk region size was observed between groups. No effects of BW755C on heart rate, arterial pressure, or left circumflex flow were observed. BW755C (10 mg/kg) did not significantly inhibit ex vivo platelet aggregation in response to collagen, adenosine diphosphate, or arachidonic acid. These results suggest that inhibition of lipoxygenase may reduce the extent of ischemic damage to the heart.

Electrophysiological and mechanical effects of sulphinpyrazone on isolated rat atria

Clinical trials suggest that sulphinpyrazone reduces the incidence of sudden death in patients having suffered a myocardial infarction. To investigate possible direct antiarrhythmic properties of sulphinpyrazone, we carried out experiments on spontaneously beating and electrically stimulated isolated rat atrial preparations. Dose-response curves for electrophysiological and mechanical effects of sulphinpyrazone were obtained. Increasing doses of sulphinpyrazone decreased the spontaneous atrial frequency, prolonged the sinus node recovery time after overdrive pacing, slightly increased the electrical threshold for excitation and decreased the contractile force. Although the mechanism by which sulphinpyrazone may reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death is still not settled, the present study demonstrates direct electrophysiological and mechanical effects of the drug at high concentrations.