Ketamine induced a concentration-dependent slowing of ventricular conduction and prolonged refractoriness without changing anisotropy or increasing dispersion of refractoriness in isolated rabbit hearts.
Does ketamine affect ventricular conduction velocity, refractoriness, and wavelength in isolated rabbit hearts?
In isolated rabbit hearts, ketamine slows ventricular conduction and prolongs refractoriness without increasing dispersion, suggesting potential antiarrhythmic properties in normal myocardium.
BACKGROUND: The aims of the study were to verify the effects of ketamine on ventricular conduction velocity and on the ventricular effective refractory period, to determine its effects on anisotropy and on homogeneity of refractoriness, and to use wavelength to determine whether ketamine has antiarrhythmic or arrhythmogenic properties. METHODS: A high-resolution epicardial mapping system was used to study the effects of 50, 100, 150, and 200 microM racemic ketamine in 15 isolated, Langendorff-perfused rabbit hearts. Five hearts were kept intact to study the effects of ketamine on spontaneous sinus cycle length (RR) interval and its putative arrhythmogenic effects. In 10 other hearts, a thin epicardial layer was obtained by an endocardial cryoprocedure (frozen hearts) to study ventricular conduction velocity, ventricular effective refractory periods (five sites), and ventricular wavelength. RESULTS: Ketamine induced a concentration-dependent lengthening of the RR interval. Ketamine slowed longitudinal and transverse ventricular conduction velocity with no anisotropic change, and it prolonged the ventricular effective refractory period with no significant increase in dispersion. Ventricular longitudinal and transverse wavelengths tend to increase, but this was not statistically significant. Finally, no arrhythmia could be induced regardless of the ketamine concentration. CONCLUSION: Ketamine slowed ventricular conduction and prolonged refractoriness without changing anisotropy or increasing dispersion of refractoriness. Although these effects should result in significant antiarrhythmic effects of ketamine, this should not be construed to suggest a protective effect in ischemic or other abnormal myocardium.
Aya et al. (Mon,) conducted a other in Ventricular conduction and refractoriness (n=15). Ketamine was evaluated on Ventricular conduction velocity, ventricular effective refractory period, and ventricular wavelength. Ketamine induced a concentration-dependent slowing of ventricular conduction and prolonged refractoriness without changing anisotropy or increasing dispersion of refractoriness in isolated rabbit hearts.