|
|||||
|
|
β2 Adrenergic receptors mediate important electrophysiological effects in human ventricular myocardium |
|
| Authors: | M Lowe E Rowland M Brown A Grace |
| Affiliation: | Department of Cardiology, Papworth Hospital, Papworth Everard, Cambridge CB3 8RE, UK. |
| Abstract: | OBJECTIVE—To define the effects of β2 adrenergic receptor stimulation on ventricular repolarisation in vivo. DESIGN—Prospective study. SETTING—Tertiary referral centre. PATIENTS—85 patients with coronary artery disease and 22 normal controls. INTERVENTIONS—Intravenous and intracoronary salbutamol (a β2 adrenergic receptor selective agonist; 10-30 µg/min and 1-10 µg/min), and intravenous isoprenaline (a mixed β1/β2 adrenergic receptor agonist; 1-5 µg/min), infused during fixed atrial pacing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES—QT intervals, QT dispersion, monophasic action potential duration. RESULTS—In patients with coronary artery disease, salbutamol decreased QTonset and QTpeak but increased QTend duration; QTonset-QTpeak and QTpeak-QTend intervals increased, resulting in T wave prolongation (mean (SEM): 201 (2) ms to 233 (2) ms; p < 0.01). There was a large increase in dispersion of QTonset, QTpeak, and QTend which was more pronounced in patients with coronary artery disease—for example, QTend dispersion: 50 (2) ms baseline v 98 (4) ms salbutamol (controls), and 70 (1) ms baseline v 108 (3) ms salbutamol (coronary artery disease); p < 0.001. Similar responses were obtained with isoprenaline. Monophasic action potential duration at 90% repolarisation shortened during intracoronary infusion of salbutamol, from 278 (4.1) ms to 257 (3.8) ms (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS—β2 adrenergic receptors mediate important electrophysiological effects in human ventricular myocardium. The increase in dispersion of repolarisation provides a mechanism whereby catecholamines acting through this receptor subtype may trigger ventricular arrhythmias. Keywords: β2 adrenergic receptors; ventricular repolarisation; QT dispersion; salbutamol; isoprenaline |
| Keywords: | β2 adrenergic receptors ventricular repolarisation QT dispersion salbutamol isoprenaline |