[The antitoxic action of triamterene in cardiac glycoside poisoning].

The antagonistic effect of triamterene on the toxicity of cardiac glycosides was investigated in conscious rabbits using the infusion method. Pretreatment with triamterene (5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg) significantly reduces the ouabain toxicity indicated by an increase of the dose producing arrhythmia (from 61 +/- 14 to 121 +/- 17 and 178 +/- 22 micrograms/kg, resp.) and lethality (from 114 +/- 18 to 236 +/- 5 and 329 +/- 11 micrograms/kg, resp.). The triamterene induced increase of plasma potassium concentration may contribute to the antitoxic effect, however, the effect persisted after the decrease of plasma potassium concentration (by addition of NaHCO3) to pretreatment values. Under the influence of digitoxin the antitoxic effect of triamterene (10 mg/kg) is also demonstrated by the delayed appearance of arrhythmias (113 +/- 3 min compared to 78 +/- 5 min) and of lethality (125 +/- 4 min compared to 92 +/- 6 min). Triamterene is not only a prophylactic but also a curative antitoxic agent in the digitalis intoxicated rabbit.