The effect of carbocromene on strophanthin-induced ventricular tachycardia in dogs.

The antiarrhythmic effect of carbocromene (Intensain) was studied in 17 anaesthetized dogs. Ventricular tachycardia was induced by infusion of K-strophanthin (mean dose: 154 mug/kg i.v.). In 25 out of 26 experiments carbocromene (4 mg/kg i.v.) was effective. Ventricular tachycardia was converted to sinus rhythm in 16 experiments, to atrial tachycardia in 6 experiments and to junctional tachycardia in 3 experiments. The favourable effect started 8 to 50 seconds after the injection with lower doses of carbocromene (3 and 2 mg/kg i.v.) in time intervals of 5 minutes resulted in similar positive effects leading after 2 or 3 injections finally to a second phase of drug effect where ventricular tachycardia was strongly modified for about 30 minutes. The results favour the therapeutic use of this drug in patients with arrhythmia especially with arrhythmias caused by digitalis.