Therapeutic range of cardiac glycosides

The narrow therapeutic range of cardiac glycosides continually challenges chemists to synthetize new derivatives with improved therapeutic properties. One of the best investigated semi-synthetic glycosides is 16 alpha-gitoxin. Compared to ouabain and gitoxin, it produces positive inotropic effects on the isolated guinea-pig heart in a wider range of concentrations and causes less pronounced rhythmic disturbances. These results were confirmed by electrophysiological investigations in isolated fibres of the canine myocardium and of the Purkinje system, by investigations in the anaesthetized cat and dog and in healthy volunteers. The effects of various semi-synthetic compounds (e.g. actodigin, ASI-222) are described and possibilities to trigger these effects are discussed. Of some significance seem to be differences in the structure of the (Na+ + K+)-ATPase system of different tissues, e.g. the working muscle and the Purkinje system of the heart, as well as differences due to the formation and dissociation of the glycoside-enzyme complex. The significance of K+, Ca2+ and of several pharmacokinetic parameters (e.g. the volume of distribution) for these reactions are briefly discussed.