Electrophysiological effects of hypoglycaemic sulphonylureas on rabbit heart

The hypoglycaemic sulphonylurea drugs glibenclamide and carbutamide were compared as to their influence on the electrical activity of isolated rabbit heart preparations. Carbutamide (10(-5)-10(-3) M) was found to depress slightly the nomotopic and junctional automaticity, while in Purkinje fibres it enhanced automaticity and conduction velocity. On the other hand, glibenclamide (10(-6)-10(-3) M) had no significant influence on the nomotopic and junctional automaticity, and markedly depressed automaticity and conduction velocity in the Purkinje fibres. The atrial conduction system was not much influenced by the sulphonylureas tested. Carbutamide depressed the electrical threshold in Purkinje fibres. It follows that the hypoglycaemic sulphonylurea compounds carbutamide and glibenclamide differ considerably with respect to their influences on cardiac electrical activity.