Electrophysiologic effects of capsaicin on pacemaker cells in sinoatrial nodes of rabbits.

AIM

To study the electrophysiologic effects of capsaicin on isolated pacemaker cells in sinoatrial (SA) nodes of rabbits and its possible action mechanism(s).

METHODS

Parameters of action potential (AP) in SA node were recorded using intracellular microelectrode technique.

RESULTS

By perfusion with capsaicin (10 micromol/L), the amplitude of action potential (APA) and maximal rate of depolarization (Vmax) were decreased from (55+/-4) mV to (49+/-4) mV (P<0.05) and from (2.4+/-0.5) V/s to (1.7+/-0.2) V/s (P<0.05). The velocity of diastolic (phase 4) depolarization (VDD) and rate of pacemaker firing (RPF) were decreased from (91+/-34) mV/s to (70+/-30) mV/s (P<0.01) and from (186+/-14) beat/min to (162+/-10) beat/min (P<0.01). The absolute value of maximal diastolic potential (MDP) was decreased from (49+/-3) mV to (44+/-2) mV (P<0.01). However, the duration of 90 % repolarization of action potential (APD90) was prolonged from (149+/-21) ms to (167+/-27) ms (P<0.01). Pretreatment with ruthenium red (RR, 10 micromol/L), a vanilloid receptor (VR1) blocker, did not affect the effects of capsaicin on SA node cells. Both elevation of calcium concentration (5 mmol/L) in superfusate and application of L-type Ca2+ channel agonist Bay-K-8644 (0.5 micromol/L) antagonized the effects of capsaicin on pacemaker cells. Beta-adrenergic agonist isoproterenol (Iso, 20 nmol/L) inhibited the capsaicin-induced prolongation of repolarization and decrease of MDP.

CONCLUSION

Capsaicin exerted a negative chronotropic action and induced a delayed repolarization of pacemaker cells in SA nodes of rabbits. These effects were likely due to reduction in calcium influx and/or potassium efflux, but were not mediated by VR1.