[Efficacy of pretreatment with adrenergic beta-receptor blockers in the prevention of cardiotoxic effects of isoprenaline in rats].

Protective effects of beta-blockers, propranolol and atenolol, have been investigated in rats treated with cardiotoxic dose of isoprenaline. In saline-pretreated animals isoprenaline produced all morphological, biochemical and electrophysiological signs of myocardial necrosis: massive coagulation necrosis of cardiomyocytes, 2.6 to 3.5-fold increase of creatine-kinase, lactate-dehydrogenase and alpha-hydroxybutyrate-dehydrogenase plasma activity and Q-wave and ST-segment elevation in ECG. Both beta-blockers protected only partly the rats heart muscle from the cardionecrogenic action of isoprenaline while propranolol has been slightly more efficient, probably due to its combined beta-blocking and antiperoxidative activity.