On the influence of zimelidine on left ventricular contractility

The cardiovascular effects of the antidepressant zimelidine were studied in healthy volunteers ( n = 10) during a period of six days. The following parameters were examined: plasma level of the substance, blood pressure and--by means of ECG echocardiogram, carotid pulse curve and phonocardiogram--heart rate, myocardial contractility parameters, afterload and systemic arterial resistance. At therapeutic plasma levels zimelidine did not cause any significant increase in heart rate at unchanged blood pressure in contrast to classical tricyclic antidepressant. Furthermore, the inotropy parameters e.g. circumferential fibre shortening rate, systolic time intervals, and fibre shortening did not show any alterations after zimelidine. Decreases of peripheral resistance and afterload were negligible.