[Ethacizin: pharmacologic properties and prospects for clinical application]

The study of the regularities between the chemical structure and pharmacologic action of phenathiazine dialkylaminoacyl derivatives led to the identification and investigation of a new drug called ethacizine-phenothiazin-2-carbethoxyamino-10 (beta-diethylamino-propionyl) hydrochloride. Ethacizine exceeds its structural analogue ethmozin by two times in terms of intensity and by 4-5 times in terms of the duration of antiarrhythmic effect. Ethacizine has marked antianginal properties. It shows a prolonged inhibitory effect on the average elevation of the ST interval at multiple leads of the epicardial electrogram during coronary occlusion, increases the threshold of myocardial ischemia development, and reduces the size of experimental infarction. The combination of potent antiarrhythmic activity, already confirmed by clinical observations, with antianginal properties and a capacity to limit the size of infarction makes in possible to consider ethacizine a promising means for treating coronary heart disease.