The authors investigated the electrophysiological and antiarrhythmic properties of a new preparation from the group of antiarrhythmic drugs-Amidepine-developed in the Research Institute for Pharmacy. Repeatedly 10 patients with persistent ventricular tachycardia (PVT) which could be induced by programmed stimulation of the ventricles were examined. Nine of them had confirmed spontaneous PVT and one had a syncope of obscure etiology. After i.v. administration of Amidepine no change was observed in the length of the effective refractory period. The induction of PVT was practically affected by Amidepine and conversely the frequency of PVT after Amidepine was 230/min. vs. 217/min. without treatment which is already a statistically significant difference. From the presented results it appears that Amidepine does not influence the induction of ventricular tachycardia, and the higher frequency of induced tachycardia suggests rather a proarrhythmic effect of this preparation.

Keywords: Anti-Arrhythmia Agents /pharmacology/; Cardiac Pacing, Artificial; Dibenzothiepins /pharmacology/; Humans; Tachycardia, Ventricular /physiopathology/