The effects of physostigmine on amitriptyline induced cardiotoxicity in dogs.

When 0.5 mgs of physostigmine salicylate was injected intravenously into adult beagle dogs which had been severely poisoned with amitriptyline, a transient improvement in cardiac output, systolic blood pressure, intraventricular conduction and in the maximum rate of rise of arterial blood pressure (arterial dP/dT max.) was observed. These effects were maximal at 15-20 minutes after injection and had largely disappeared 30 to 35 minutes after the injection.