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

1978

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…