Ethanol-induced electrophysiological alterations in canine cardiac Purkinje fibers.

Abstract

THANOL HAS BEEN FOUND to have a d pressant effect on the mammalian heart. Studies (1-4) using a variety of experimental conditions and subject ypes have shown increased left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and heart diameter and decreased stroke output and contractile force. The relative contributions of ethanol's various actions to cardiac tissue depression are unclear, but electrophysiological alterations appear to be a significant factor. Ethanol-induced lectrophysiological changes in cardiac muscle have been related to depressed contractility (5, 0). In addition to causing myocardial depression, ethanol has been shown to affect intracardiac onduction and to possess possible arrhythmogenic properties. Gimeno et al. (5) observed ethanolinduced dysrhythmias, a shortened action-potential duration (,•,])) and increased conduction i rat atrial tissue. In frog and cat ventricular muscle, ethanol has been shown to shorten the a•,]) and