Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How d,l-Sotalol helps prevent atrial fibrillation in dogs with heart
By Sakamoto, Tamotsu et al.·Published in Circulation journal : official journal of the Japanese Circulation Society·2009·Second Department of Internal Medicine, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: d,l-Sotalol reverses abbreviated atrial refractoriness and prevents promotion of atrial fibrillation in a canine model with left ventricular dysfunction induced by atrial tachypacing.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of beagles with heart issues were studied to see if a medication called d,l-sotalol could help prevent atrial fibrillation (AF), a type of irregular heartbeat. After being subjected to rapid heartbeats for four weeks, the dogs that received d,l-sotalol showed a significant improvement in heart rhythm stability compared to those that did not receive the medication. The treatment helped prolong the time it took for the heart to become electrically activated again, which reduced the likelihood and duration of AF episodes. Overall, d,l-sotalol proved effective in managing heart rhythm problems in these dogs.
People also search for: dog atrial fibrillation treatment · beagle heart problems · d · l-sotalol for dogs
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study evaluated antiarrhythmic effects of d,l-sotalol in a canine atrial fibrillation (AF) model with left ventricular dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Thirteen beagles (Sotalol group n=7 and Control group n=6) were subjected to atrial tachypacing (ATP) (400 beats/min) with intact atrioventricular conduction for 4 weeks. Oral d,l-sotalol (2 mg/kg) was administered 1 week after starting ATP and continued throughout the experiment. One week after starting ATP, atrial effective refractory periods (AERPs) were shortened in both groups. However, d,l-sotalol treatment gradually prolonged AERP, resulting in a significant prolongation of AERP compared with the Control group at 4 weeks (Control 76 +/-4 and Sotalol 126 +/-5 ms, p<0.01). d,l-Sotalol treatment showed lower AF inducibility and shorter AF duration at 4 weeks. In the control group, expressions of L-type Ca(2+) channel alpha1c and Kv4.3 mRNA were downregulated by 46.2% and 43.0%, respectively, after 4 weeks of ATP; d,l-sotalol treatment did not affect these changes. CONCLUSIONS: d,l-Sotalol treatment prolonged AERP, even after atrial electrical remodeling had developed, and prevented AF perpetuation without affecting downregulated expression of L-type Ca(2+) channel alpha1c and Kv4.3 mRNA in an ATP-induced canine AF model.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19713653/