[Antiarrhythmic properties of afobazole and other 2-mercaptobensimidazole derivatives]

Experiments on conscious male rats have shown that, under conditions of the aconitine-induced arrhythmia model, afobazole and other 2-mercaptobensimidazole derivatives exhibit antiarrhythmic effect, i.e. possess properties of rapid Na+ channel antagonists. The effect of afobazole under these conditions was significantly more pronounced than that of the reference drugs lidocaine and procainamide. The antiarrhythmic (antifibrillatory) effect of afobazole was also detected under the conditions of arrhythmia caused by high doses of calcium chloride. This drug was 1.5 times more effective in its antifibrillatory action than lidocaine, but it was less effective than verapamil. It has been also found that afobazole possesses a wider therapeutic spectrum than the well-known antiarrhythmic drugs of class I and IV (lidocaine, procainamide, ethmosine and verapamil).