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Effect of Acetylcholine and Quinidine on Atrial Cellular Potentials

Nature volume 180, pages 1483–1484 (1957)Cite this article

Abstract

Briscoe and Burn1 have shown that acetylcholine will restore the spontaneous contractions of rabbit atria which have been arrested by quinidine. Armitage2 has suggested that quinidine impairs repolarization by rendering the cell membrane less permeable to potassium ions, and acetylcholine restarts the tissue by restoring the potassium permeability. However, Weidmann3, Johnson4 and Johnson and McKinnon5 have demonstrated that in cardiac muscle quinidine predominantly affected the depolarization phase of the action potential. The maximum rate of rise of the action potential was grossly decreased with little or no concomitant change in the membrane resting potential, indicating that the drug had a direct effect on the sodium-carrying system.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, University of Sydney, Sydney

    EDWARD A. JOHNSON & P. A. ROBERTSON

Authors
  1. EDWARD A. JOHNSON
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  2. P. A. ROBERTSON
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JOHNSON, E., ROBERTSON, P. Effect of Acetylcholine and Quinidine on Atrial Cellular Potentials. Nature 180, 1483–1484 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/1801483b0

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