Metabolic factors and ventricular fibrillation.

Ventricular fibrillation has been studied in the isolated rabbit heart to determine the effect of factors modifying the metabolism. Sodium azide, sodium monoiodoacetate and sodium fluoride were found to cause fibrillation, the effect of sodium fluoride being neutralized by magnesium chloride. Fibrillation was also caused by lack of glucose and could be arrested by adding glucose; the effect of glucose in arresting fibrillation was facilitated by insulin. In other experiments mannose and pyruvate could arrest fibrillation due to lack of glucose, but L(-)lactate could not. The effect of temperature changes, of adrenaline and of cyanide were also studied. When all oxygen was removed from the perfusing solution fibrillation was arrested.