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Calcium antagonists and the developing heart
B Ostádal1, J Skovránek, F Kolár
1Institute of Physiology, Czech. Acad. Sci., Prague.
Biomedica Biochimica Acta
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Calcium antagonists like verapamil may harm developing hearts in embryos and young mammals. Studies show increased mortality and negative effects on cardiac function in younger subjects, suggesting caution in clinical use during early development.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Developmental Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Cardiac sensitivity to drugs can change significantly during development.
- Calcium antagonists are widely used for cardiovascular conditions.
- Understanding ontogenetic effects is crucial for safe clinical application.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-dependent cardiac sensitivity to calcium antagonists.
- To evaluate the effects of verapamil on embryonic and immature mammalian hearts.
- To assess potential risks of calcium antagonist use in early ontogeny.
Main Methods:
- Experiments conducted on chick embryonic hearts and isolated immature rat hearts.
- Assessment of verapamil's effect on isoprenaline-induced changes.
- Measurement of mortality rates and negative inotropic responses in different age groups.
Main Results:
- Verapamil did not protect chick embryonic hearts and increased mortality.
- Verapamil treatment in rats showed age-dependent mortality, with higher rates in younger animals.
- Younger rat hearts exhibited significantly greater negative inotropic responses to verapamil.
Conclusions:
- Calcium antagonists may have detrimental effects during early cardiac development.
- Clinical use of calcium antagonists in early ontogeny warrants caution.
- Further research is needed to understand the specific mechanisms and risks.