Electrophysiological properties of the propafenone-analogue GE 68 (1-[3-(phenylethyl)-2-benzofuryl]-2-(propylamino)-ethanol) in isolated preparations and ventricular myocytes of guinea-pig hearts

GE 68 ((Rac.)-1-[3-(Phenylethyl)-2-benzofuryl]-2-(propylamino)-ethanol hydrochloride) is structurally related to propafenone, and exerts negative inotropic and negative chronotropic effects similar to the parent drug, but lacks any β-adrenoceptor blocking activity contrary to propafenone. Thus, the electrophysiological effects of GE 68 were studied in papillary muscles, left atria, Purkinje fibres, sinoatrial nodes and ventricular myocytes of the guinea-pig heart with the intracellular microelectrode technique and the patch-clamp technique in the cell-attached mode. The decrease of the maximum upstroke velocity (V˙_max) by GE 68 (1 to 10 μM) was use- and frequency-dependent. V˙_max recovered from the use-dependent block with a time constant of 4.1 ± 0.6 s. In papillary muscles and Purkinje fibres action potential duration was shortened, while it was prolonged in left atria and sinoatrial nodes. Half-maximal steady-state inactivation of the sodium channels was shifted to more negative membrane potentials (control: –91.5 ± 0.8 mV, 10 μM GE 68: –97.9 ± 2.5 mV). The peak of the current-voltage relationship and the reversal potential were not changed by GE 68. The amplitude of the unitary current remained unaltered, while open state probability was decreased. The most striking effect of GE 68 was an increase of the number of sweeps without single channel openings (1 μM: 2 fold, 10 μM: 6 fold). GE 68 also caused a decrease of the mean open times, and an increase of the mean closed times in unmodified and pronase-modified sodium channels. Besides the lack of β-adrenoceptor blocking activity, data present a faster recovery from the use-dependent block by GE 68 and a lower affinity to inactivated sodium channels compared to the reference drug propafenone, as well as differences in the effect on single channel kinetics. Received: 25 July 1996 / Accepted: 14 October 1996