Barium cardiotoxicity: Relationship between ultrastructural damage and mechanical effects

The ultrastructural damage in guinea-pig ventricular strips caused by barium was analysed. At a concentration of 1 mmol/litre, barium chloride caused a dramatic increase in the developed tension associated with the onset of automaticity. The ultrastructural analysis demonstrated that barium caused notable and consistent alterations which affected most myocyte components. Various degenerative aspects were observed in mitochondria and in the contractile apparatus. Glycogen deposits were completely depleted. Preparations driven at 4 Hz (i.e. the rate of spontaneous firing of barium-treated preparations) showed moderate ultrastructural alterations, thus demonstrating that the increase in the rate of beating is not the only determinant of the observed damage. These results suggest that the myocardial toxicity of barium is due not only to the well-known modifications in membrane permeability, but possibly also to alterations in cell function.