Ouabain arrhythmogenicity in hypertrophied right and left ventricle of the rat

Susceptibility to the arrhythmogenic action of ouabain was tested in rats with right ventricular hypertrophy, due to experimental chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, and in spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats with left ventricular hypertrophy. As parameters of arrhythmogenicity the time-duration of infusion of a solution of ouabain (1 g/100 ml), at a rate of 0.7 mg/kg per minute, was measured until the appearance on the ECG of the first premature ventricular contraction, ventricular tachycardia and cardiac arrest. All three effects of digitalis toxicity (premature ventricular contraction, ventricular tachycardia and cardiac arrest) appeared significantly earlier both in rats with right ventricular hypertrophy, due to chronic experimental hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, and in SH rats with hypertrophy of the left ventricle, as compared to the infusion time of the same solution of ouabain needed to elicit the mentioned toxic effects in control rats without ventricular hypertrophy.