Acute doxorubicin-induced cardiac arrhythmias during ether anesthesia

Acute intravenous administration of doxorubicin (30 and 50 mg/kg) elicited cardiac arrhythmias in the mouse, the severity and extent of which were dependent upon dose of doxorubicin and the anesthetic agent utilized. Fatal arrhythmias occurred in all mice given 50 mg/kg doxorubicin under ether anesthesia. Vasoactive amines may mediate the arrhythmogenicity of acute doxorubicin administration.