Effects of caffeine, halothane, succinylcholine, phenylephrine and isoproterenol on myocardial force of contraction of malignant hyperthermia susceptible swine

The effects of caffeine, halothane, succinylcholine, phenylephrine and isoproterenol on force of contraction were studied in electrically driven (0.2 Hz) trabeculae isolated from the right ventricles of the hearts of malignant hyperthermia susceptible (MHS) and healthy control (nMHS) swine. Caffeine (0.1-10 mmol/l) had positive inotropic effects, amounting to 275 +/- 35% of control in nMHS and 268 +/- 34% in MHS (n = 16). Halothane (0.25-4 vol%) decreased the force of contraction maximally to 52 +/- 4% in nMHS and 51 +/- 5% of control in MHS (n = 16). Propranolol did not change these effects. Succinylcholine (0.1-10000 mumol/l) had a small positive inotropic effect in both groups, which was blocked by propranolol. Phenylephrine (0.1-300 mumol/l) increased the force of contraction maximally to 188 +/- 24% of control in nMHS and to 193 +/- 23% in MHS (n = 16). The inotropic effect was blocked by prazosin but not by succinylcholine (1 mmol/l). Isoproterenol (0.01-10 mumol/l) had a positive inotropic effect of maximally 275 +/- 21% of control in nMHS and 396 +/- 31% in MHS (n = 17) (P less than 0.05). Succinylcholine potentiated this effect, and propranolol shifted the concentration-response curves to the right. We conclude that caffeine, halothane, succinylcholine and phenylephrine have similar inotropic effects in the hearts of nMHS and MHS, whereas isoproterenol has a significantly greater effect in MHS than in nMHS.