Effects of methylprednisolone on ventricular arrhythmias during acute myocardial ischaemia

The effects of methylprednisolone (50 mg.kg-1) on the incidence of ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation and on ventricular fibrillation threshold were studied during acute coronary occlusion in anaesthetised dogs. Ventricular tachycardia and/or ventricular fibrillation occurred in 11 of the 16 animals (69%) both before and after methylprednisolone pretreatment. The mean ventricular fibrillation threshold of 10 dogs was 10.1 +/- 1.8 mA before methylprednisolone and it increased slightly to 13.3 +/- 2.3 mA after the drug. This difference was not statistically significant (P greater than 0.2).