Digoxin-quinidine interaction in the neonatal dog

Abstract

The effects of quinidine on steady state serum and tissue digoxin concentrations in the neonatal dog were studied. To determine the effects of quinidine on serum digoxin concentrations, two groups of neonates were evaluated: Group I (n = 11) was digitalized with 40 micrograms/kg body weight, intramuscularly, and placed on a 10 micrograms/kg per day maintenance dose; Group II (n = 7) was digitalized with 50 micrograms/kg per day, intraperitoneally, and placed on a 20 micrograms/kg per day maintenance dose. After 10 days of digoxin alone, quinidine was coadministered (30 mg/kg per day, intraperitoneally) for 7 days. Serum digoxin concentrations were measured before quinidine and 1, 3 and 7 days after combined digoxin-quinidine therapy. In Group I, the control serum digoxin concentration was 1.38 +/- 0.32 ng/ml and after 7 days of combined therapy it was unchanged (1.39 +/- 0.31 ng/ml). In Group II, the control serum digoxin concentration measured 2.80 +/- 0.49 ng/ml and after 7 days of combined therapy it, too, was unchanged (3.10 +/- 0.65 ng/ml). The effects of combined digoxin-quinidine administration on tissue digoxin concentrations were studied in two other groups of neonates. Group III (n = 6) was given a low maintenance dose of digoxin (10 micrograms/kg per day, intramuscularly) and a full 7 days of coadministered quinidine; in Group IV (n = 6), digoxin was given at a higher dose (20 micrograms/kg per day, intraperitoneally) and a shorter duration of combined digoxin-quinidine therapy (3 days).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)