Differential electrophysiological effects of amiodarone on ventricular muscle and Purkinje fibers in canine one-day-old myocardial infarction.

1. We examined the electrophysiological effects of acute exposure to amiodarone (AM) on ischemic myocardium. 2. Regional myocardial ischemia was performed by occlusion on left anterior descending coronary artery in dog heart. 3. Conventional glass microelectrode techniques were used for electrophysiological investigation of regional ischemia. 4. The effects of AM on action potentials of subendocardial Purkinje fibers and ventricular muscle excised from ischemic area were studied and compared the findings with those obtained from non-ischemic area. 5. Acute exposure to AM, 4.4 x 10(-5) M, prolonged the total duration of action potential in the ischemic ventricular muscle and decreased the maximum upstroke velocity of action potentials significantly. 6. On the other hand, in the ischemic Purkinje fibers, AM produced no significant actions. 7. These findings suggest that AM's antiarrhythmic activity is, at least in part, due to its differential effects on repolarization of ischemic Purkinje fibers and ventricular muscle.