Changes in cardiac muscle function and biochemistry produced by long-term amiodarone and amiodarone +...

Cardiac muscle function and biochemistry were examined after long-term amiodarone administration in the rabbit (20 mg/kg/day for 28 days). Isolated cardiac muscle preparations were obtained from control and amiodarone-treated rabbits, and were studied in vitro. Amiodarone treatment did not alter the magnitude of force development in isolated atrial and papillary muscle preparations, but depressed the rate of force development (dF/dt). The muscle preparations responded similarly to inotropic and chronotropic stimulation with isoproterenol, histamine, and tyramine, although the intrinsic rate of right atrial preparations from the drug-treated animals was reduced. Na+-K+ ATPase activity in crude ventricular homogenates was increased in the amiodarone-treated group. Mitochondrial respiratory function in amiodarone-treated left ventricular tissue was depressed for glutamate, malate, and glutamate + malate. The reduction in respiratory function occurred without uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation or altering respiratory function for succinate. The pharmacologic effects of amiodarone observed in the present study were not observed with the simultaneous administration of triiodothyronine (5 micrograms/day). No difference in ATP-dependent calcium uptake or in calcium-dependent ATPase activity were observed in sarcoplasmic reticulum preparations from control, amiodarone, and amiodarone + T3 groups. The pharmacologic effects of amiodarone in rabbit hearts resemble those previously reported with hypothyroidism and are not observed after triiodothyronine administration.