Effects of disopyramide on reperfusion arrhythmias in dogs

We tested the effect of disopyramide on reperfusion arrhythmias in mongrel dogs. The control group consisted of 27 dogs. Twenty-nine dogs received two intravenous doses of disopyramide (total: 5.3 mg/kg) before and during the occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. The blood levels of disopyramide averaged 3.95 +/- 0.95 micrograms/ml and 5.9 +/- 1.1 micrograms/ml, 2.5 and 9.5 min after the ligation. The incidence of reperfusion arrhythmias was significantly (p less than 0.05) lower in the treated group (7.5%) than in the control group (33.3%). Disopyramide also lowered the incidence of arrhythmias during the occlusion period (14% vs. 52%, p less than 0.01). Both groups showed a correlation between the incidence of arrhythmias during the occlusion period and on reperfusion.