ACTION POTENTIAL, MEMBRANE CURRENTS AND FORCE OF CONTRACTION IN MAMMALIAN HEART MUSCLE FIBRES TREATED WITH QUINIDINE

The effects of quinidine on electrical and mechanical activity were investigated in atrial and/or ventricular heart muscle preparations from guinea pigs and cats. Quinidine (1--100 micrometer) exerted negative inotropic effects in papillary muscles from guinea pigs and cats. In guinea-pig left atria, a positive inotropic effect was superimposed on the negative inotropic effect in response to quinidine. Quinidine (100 micrometer) prolonged the duration of the action potential in guinea-pig atria but shortened it in guinea-pig ventricular muscle. In cat papillary muscles, the late repolarization was markedly prolonged by quinidine, but virtually no change of the plateau phase was observed. Th…