Electrophysiological study of intravenous pinaverium bromide in cardiology

Pinaverium bromide is a musculotropic spasmolytic agent which acts by inhibiting transmembrane calcium movements, an effect similar to that of verapamil. Because of this, an investigation was carried out to see if it had any electrophysiological effects in patients with various cardiac disorders. In an open study, 10 patients received 2 mg pinaverium bromide intravenously. In a double-blind study, 10 patients received 4 mg pinaverium bromide intravenously and 10 patients placebo. Patients included those with either normal or pathological basal conduction, such as bundle-branch block and 1st degree atrioventricular block. Measurements were made of electrophysiological parameters before and 10 minutes after injection. The results showed that neither of the two doses of pinaverium bromide had any effect on atrial excitability, sino-atrial conduction, node and trunk atrioventricular conduction or on intraventricular conduction. No significant difference was seen in comparison with placebo. Pinaverium bromide had no anti-arrhythmic properties in these studies. Local, cardiac and general clinical tolerability was good in all patients.