Nifedipine--a new calcium antagonist in experimental myocardial necrosis
Ganguly, P.K.; Srivastava, L.M.; Bora, P.S.; Gupta, M.P.; Seth, S.D.
Indian Journal of Medical Research 73: 617-624
1981
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-5340 PMID: 7262935 Document Number: 181149
To evaluate the effect of the pharmacological intervention of a new Ca antagonist, nifedipine (NIF), in myocardial infarction (MI), studies were conducted in isoproterenol(ISO)-induced (85 mg/kg, s.c. .times. 2 days) MI in rats and the data were used for comparison with the .beta.-blocker, propranolol (PROP). Administration of ISO was associated with typical infarct-like cardiac lesions as seen microscopically and increased serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) activity. Although the total myocardial LDH activity and the glycogen were decreased, the tissue lactate concentration was increased significantly. With regard to all the parameters studied, both PROP (1 mg/kg, i.m.) and NIF (50 .mu.g/kg i.m.) for 5 days before and 2 days during ISO injection were beneficial. The improved cardiac lesions following infarction in the NIF-pretreated hearts were associated with a significant decrease in tissue lactate content as compared to the PROP group (P < 0.001). Although it is uncertain whether NIF is more beneficial than PROP, it is proposed that NIF may have a promising role in protection against ischemic myocardium.