The action of prostaglandin E2 and F1alpha on myocardial ischaemia-infarction arrhythmias in the dog.

Prostaglandin E2 and F1alpha infusions have been tested for their ability to reduce the arrhythmias associated with occlusion of the left descending coronary artery in the anaesthetised dog. At 1 microgram/kg/min both PGs reduced the incidence of premature ventricular contractions occurring during 25-min occlusions, while not reducing the incidence of ventricular fibrillation occurring on occlusion release. When infused for 5-min periods at 1 to 16 microgram/kg/min, neither PGE2 nor PGF1alpha effectively reduced the frequency of ventricular arrhythmias occurring 24 hr after a permanent coronary occlusion.