Effects of sigma ligand haloperidol on isolated heart.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2000 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | New Frontiers in Basic Cardiovascular Research |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Physiology |
| Keywords | isolated heart;sigma receptor;haloperidol |
| Description | It has been suggested that sigma receptors might be responsible for some adverse side effects of the classical neuroleptics, antidepressants, anxiolytics and analgesics. These effects concern nervous tissue as well as some peripheral tissues. Sigma receptors were originally discovered in central nervous system, but they are present also in heart muscle. Our previous experiments with sigma receptor ligands in isolated rat cardiomyocytes suggested that these receptors may play a role in modulation of contractility. Haloperidol is a typical sigma ligand used in everyday clinical practice for treatment of psychoses or severe agitated delirium. Its side effects - cardiac arrhythmias such as torsade de pointes, ventricular fibrillation and other life-threatening complications are well known and have been repeatedly reported. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of sigma receptor ligand haloperidol in the whole heart preparation.Previously described arrhythmogenic effects of sigma ligands in cardiac myocytes were confirmed in isolated rat hearts perfused by haloperidol. The putative inotropic effect of the drug remains controversial. |