Experimental studies on the cardiological effects of ipriflavone on the isolated rabbit heart and in rat and dog.

7-Isopropoxy-isoflavone (Ipriflavone) treatment of rabbits for 8 days at daily oral doses of 30 mg/kg significantly decreases the oxygen consumption of their isolated hearts. In anoxia this effect is more pronounced. 10-day oral treatment of rabbits with 10 or 20 mg/kg/day of ipriflavone led to a significant decrease of the lactic acid content in the myocardium, especially, in the ischaemic region. A 6-day oral pre-treatment of rats with 30 mg/kg/day of ipriflavone significantly decreases the coronary ligation-induced damage of the mitochondria and myofibrils. Electron microscope autoradiography shows that ipriflavone significantly counteracts the coronary ligation induced calcium accumulation in the mitochondria. Ipriflavone seems to influence the mitochondrial energetics in a positive manner. It has an oxygen sparing effect.