Atrial thrombosis involving the heart of F-344 rats ingesting quinacrine hydrochloride.

Quinacrine hydrochloride is toxic for the heart of F-344 rats. Rats treated with 500 ppm quinacrine hydrochloride in the diet all developed a high incidence of left atrial thrombosis. The lesion was associated with cardiac hypertrophy and dilatation and focal myocardial degeneration. Rats died from cardiac hypertrophy with severe acute and chronic congestion of the lungs, liver, and other organs. Seventy percent of rats given 250 ppm quinacrine hydrochloride and 1,000 ppm sodium nitrite simultaneously in the diet had thrombosis of the atria of the heart, while untreated control rats in this laboratory did not have atrial thrombosis. Sodium nitrite in combination with quinacrine hydrochloride appeared to have no additional effect.