Summary
26 mongrel dogs were given a single dose of 0.03 mg/kg tritium-labelled digoxin, β-methyldigoxin, digitoxin or ouabain 2 hrs or 95 hrs following experimental coronary occlusion. Examination of the epicardial ECG was performed by moving from intact to ischemic or necrotic zones. 60 min after glycoside administration the animals were sacrificed and tissue samples from the marked heart muscles areas and from the skeletal muscle were analysed for glycoside content. The early glycoside uptake in acute ischemic or necrotic myocardium was diminished independently of the physicochemical properties of the glycoside. Significantly higher glycoside concentrations (ng/g wet weight) were measured in the injured myocardium 3 hrs after coronary occlusion than 96 hrs afterward (p<0.005). The values in acute ischemic myocardium varied considerably. This non-homogeneity of glycoside uptake in the acute ischemic heart muscle may partly explain the increased sensitivity to glycosides in myocardial infarction. The decline of glycoside concentration correlates with the alterations in the epicardial ECG. The cardiac effects of cardenolides 60 min after intravenous administration was caused by the unchanged glycoside.
In contrast to the myocardium, glycoside accumulation could not be found in the skeletal muscle. The concentrations of digoxin, β-methyldigoxin and digitoxin in the skeletal muscle were significantly higher than the concentration of ouabain, which was rapidly eliminated via the urine.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Becker, L. C., Ferreira, R., Thomas, M.: Mapping of left ventricular blood flow with radioactive microspheres in experimental coronary artery occlusion. Cardiovasc. Res. 7, 391–400 (1973)
Beller, G. A., Hood, W. B., Jr., Smith, T. W.: Impaired myocardial uptake of cardiac glycosides after coronary reperfusion in acute myocardial ischemia. J. clin. Invest. 53, 1760 (1974)
Beller, G. A., Smith, T. W., Hood, W. B., Jr.: Altered distribution of tritiated digoxin in the infarcted canine left ventricle. Circulation 46, 572–579 (1972)
Case, R. B., Roselle, H. A., Crampton, R. S.: Relation of S-T depression to metabolic and hemodynamic avents. Cardiologia (Basel) 48, 32–41 (1966)
Deutscher, R. N., Harrison, D. C., Goldman, R. H.: The relation between myocardial 3H-digoxin concentration and its hemodynamic effects. Amer. J. Cardiol. 29, 47–55 (1972)
Doherty, J. E., Perkins, W. H.: Tissue concentration and turnover of tritiated digoxin in dogs. Amer. J. Cardiol. 17, 47–52 (1966)
Domenech, R. J., Hoffman, J. I. E., Noble, M. I. M., Saunders, K. B., Henson, J. R., Subijanto, S.: Total and regional coronary blood flow measured by radioactive microspheres in conscious and anesthetized dogs. Circulat. Res. 25, 581–596 (1969)
Fortuin, N. J., Kaihara, S., Becker, L. C., Pitt, B.: Regional myocardial blood flow in the dog studied with radioactive microspheres. Cardiovasc. Res. 5, 331–336 (1971)
Friedman, M., St. George, S., Bine, R., Jr., Byers, S. O., Bland, C.: Deposition and disappearance of digitoxin from the tissues of the rat, rabbit and dog after parenteral injection. Circulation 6, 367–370 (1952)
Gonzalez, L. F., Layne, E. C.: Studies on tritium-labeled digoxin: Tissue, blood and urine determinations. J. clin. Invest. 39, 1578–1583 (1960)
Grayson, J., Irvine, M.: Myocardial infarction in the monkey: Studies on the collateral circulation after acute coronary occlusion. Cardiovasc. Res. 2, 170–178 (1968)
Gruber, J. W., Luchi, R. J., Turnbull, J. S.: Cardiac distribution of 3H-digoxin and its alteration by reserpine. Circulation 35, Suppl. 2, 127 (1967)
Harrison, C. E., Jr., Brandenburg, R. O., Ongley, P. A., Orvis, A. L., Owen, C. A.: The distribution and excretion of tritiated substances in experimental animals following the administration of digoxin-3H. J. Lab. clin. Med. 67, 764–777 (1966)
Hood, W. B., Jr., Joison, J., Kumar, R., Katayama, I., Neiman, R. S., Norman, J. C.: Experimental myocardial infarction. I. Production of left ventricular failure by gradual coronary occlusion in intact conscious dogs. Cardiovasc. Res. 4, 73–83 (1970)
Hood, W. B., Jr., McCarthy, B., Lown, B.: Myocardial infarction following coronary ligation in dogs. Circulat. Res. 21, 191–199 (1967)
Hopkins, B. E., Taylor, R. R.: Digoxin distribution in the dog's left ventricle in the presence of coronary artery ligation. J. molec. cell. Cardiol 5, 197–203 (1973)
Jennings, R. B.: Symposium on the pre-hospital phase of acute myocardial infarction. Part II. Early phase of myocardial ischemic injury and infarction. Amer. J. Cardiol. 24, 753–765 (1969)
Kaiser, F.: Die papierchromatographische Trennung von Herzgiftglycosiden. Chem. Ber. 88, 556–563 (1955)
Karlsson, J., Templeton, G. H., Willerson, J. T.: Relationship between epicardial S-T segment changes and myocardial metabolism during acute coronary insufficiency. Circulat. Res. 32, 725–730 (1973)
Kumar, R., Sharma, G. V. R. K., Molokhia, F. A., Norman, J. C., Inamdar, A. N., Messer, J. V., Abelmann, W. H., Hood, W. B., Jr.: Experimental myocardial infarction. X. Efficacy of glucagon in acute and healing phase in intact conscious dogs: Effects on hemodynamics and myocardial oxygen consumption. Circulation 45, 55–64 (1972)
Marcus, F. I., Nimmo, L., Kapadia, G. G., Goldsmith, C.: The effect of acute hypokalemia on the myocardial concentration and body distribution of tritiated digoxin in the dog. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 178, 271–281 (1971)
Maroko, P. R., Kjekshus, J. K., Sobel, B. E., Watanabe, T., Covell, J. W., Ross, J., Jr., Braunwald, E.: Factors influencing infarct size following experimental coronary artery occlusions. Circulation 43, 67–82 (1971)
Maroko, P. R., Libby, P., Ginks, W. R., Bloor, C. M., Shell, W. E., Sobel, B. E., Ross, J., Jr.: Coronary artery reperfusion. I. Early effects on local myocardial function and the extent of myocardial necrosis. J. clin. Invest. 51, 2710–2716 (1972)
Morgan, L. M., Binnion, P. F.: The distribution of 3H-digoxin in normal and acutely hyperkalaemic dogs. Cardiovasc. Res. 4, 235–241 (1970)
Morris, J. J., Jr., Taft, C. V., Whalen, R. E., McIntosh, H. D., Durham, N. C.: Digitalis and experimental myocardial infarction. Amer. Heart J. 77, 342–355 (1969)
Rees, J. R., Redding, V. J.: Experimental myocardial infarction in the dog. Circulat. Res. 25, 161–170 (1969)
Russell, J. Q., Klaassen, C. D.: Biliary excretion of cardiac glycosides. J. Pharmacol. exp. Ther. 186, 455–462 (1973)
Sayen, J. J., Sheldon, W. F., Peirce, G., Kuo, P. T.: Polarographic oxygen, the epicardial electrocardiogram and muscle concentration in experimental acute regional ischemia of the left ventricle. Circulat. Res. 6, 779–798 (1958)
Schaumann, W.: Die Pharmakokinetik von Digitalis-Glykosiden und ihre Bedeutung für die Therapie. Therapiewoche 35, 2894–2900 (1973)
Scheuer, J., Brachfeld, N.: Coronary insufficiency: Relations between hemodynamic, electrical, and biochemical parameters. Circulat. Res. 18, 178–189 (1966)
Schley, G., Meesmann, W., Schulz, F.-W., Adolphsen, P.: Das Elektrokardiogramm nach akutem experimentellem Koronarverschluß in Abhängigkeit von Spontankollateralen des Herzens. Z. Kreislforsch. 60, 405–420 (1970)
Thompson, A. J., Hargis, J., Murphy, M. L., Doherty, J. E.: Experimental myocardial infarction (MI), serum levels and tissue concentration of 3H digoxin. Clin. Res. 20, 401 (1972)
Wegria, R., Segers, M., Keating, R. P., Ward, H. P.: Relationship between the reduction in coronary flow and the appearance of electrocardiographic changes. Amer. Heart J. 38, 90–96 (1949)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kuhlmann, J., Kötter, V., von Leitner, E. et al. Concentration of digoxin, methyldigoxin, digitoxin and ouabain in the myocardium of the dog following coronary occlusion. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 287, 399–411 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00500041
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00500041