Vesnarinone prolongs action potential duration without reverse frequency dependence in rabbit ventricular muscle by blocking the delayed rectifier K+ current.

BACKGROUND

Methanesulfonanilide derivatives, selective inhibitors of the rapidly activating component (I(Kr)) of the delayed rectifier potassium current (I(K)), prolong action potential duration (APD) of cardiac muscles with reverse frequency dependence, which limits their clinical use because of proarrhythmia. Vesnarinone, a quinolinone derivative developed as a cardiotonic agent, has complex pharmacological properties, but its clinical efficacy is explained in part by I(K) reduction. Therefore, we investigated the mode of I(K) block by vesnarinone.

METHODS AND RESULTS

I(K) of the rabbit ventricular myocyte was activated by voltage-clamp steps applied from a holding potential to various depolarizing levels. The development of I(K) block at depolarization (+10 mV) and its recovery process at hyperpolarization (-75 mV) were compared between vesnarinone and E-4031. The I(K) block by vesnarinone (3 micromol/L) developed and recovered monoexponentially, with time constants of 361 ms (n=5) and 1.87 seconds (n=4), respectively. I(K) block by E-4031 (0.3 micromol/L) developed instantaneously, with no recovery from the block at hyperpolarization. The I(K) block by vesnarinone, estimated by I(K) tail after a train of depolarizing pulses (for 30 seconds at 0.2 to 2 Hz), was increased with increasing frequency (twofold at 2 from 0.2 Hz), but that by E-4031 was unchanged. In rabbit papillary muscles, vesnarinone (10 micromol/L) prolonged APD at stimulation frequencies >0.2 Hz, whereas E-4031 (0.3 micromol/L) prolonged that in a reverse frequency-dependent manner.

CONCLUSIONS

Vesnarinone may prolong the repolarization of human cardiac muscle without reverse frequency dependence, because I(Kr) is expressed in humans as well as in the rabbit. Thus, this drug may be a model for an ideal class III drug without the risk of proarrhythmia.