Lecture 9.2: Action of Drugs on the CVS Flashcards
What Conditions are Cardiovascular Drugs used to Treat? (5)
- Arrhythmias
- Heart Failure
- Angina
- Hypertension
- Risk of Thrombus Formation
What Factors are Cardiovascular Drugs able to alter? (4)
- The rate and rhythm of the heart
- The force of myocardial contraction
- Peripheral resistance and blood flow
- Blood volume
Drugs influence the Heart in different ways: Inotropy
- Contractility
Drugs influence the Heart in different ways: Chronotropy
- Heart Rate
Drugs influence the Heart in different ways: Dromotropy
- Electrical Conduction
Drugs influence the Heart in different ways: Lusitropy
- Relaxation
What is the key cellular event in muscle contraction?
An increase in intracellular Calcium (Ca2+)!!
Cardiac Muscle Contraction and Relaxation (8 Steps)
1) Rapid depolarisation occurs when fast‐.
opening Na + channels in the sarcolemma
open and allow an influx of Na + ions into the
cardiac muscle cell (Na + channels close)
2) A plateau phase occurs during which Ca 2+
enters the cytosol of the muscle cell from
sarcoplasmic reticulum and also from outside
the cell through slow‐opening Ca2+ channels
in the sarcolemma
3) Within the cell, Ca2+ binds to troponin
4) This triggers the cross‐bridge binding that
leads to the sliding of actin filaments past
myosin filaments
5) The sliding of the filaments produces cell
contraction
6) At the same time that the Ca2+ channels
open, K+ channels, which normally leak small
amounts of K+ out of the cell, become more
impermeable to K+ leakage
7) Re-polarisation occurs as K + channels open
and K + diffuses out of the cell. At the same
time, Ca 2+ channels close
8) A refractory period follows, during which.
concentration of K + and Na + are actively
restored to their appropriate sides of the.
sarcolemma by Na +/K + pumps
Bradycardia
Abnormally Slow Heart Rate
Tachycardia
Abnormally Fast Heart Rate
Atrial Flutter
It occurs when a short circuit in the heart causes the upper chambers (atria) to pump very rapidly
Atrial Fibrillation
The atria beat irregularly
Ventricular Tachycardia
It occurs when the lower chamber of the heart beats too fast to pump well and the body doesn’t receive enough oxygenated blood
Supraventricular Tachycardias
Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is as an irregularly fast or erratic heartbeat (arrhythmia) that affects the heart’s upper chambers (atria)
Ventricular Fibrillation
The ventricles beat irregularly
Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia
Characterised by a sinus heart rate inexplicably higher than one hundred beats per minute (bpm) at rest
Ectopic Pacemaker Activity
An excitable group of cells that causes a premature heart beat outside the normally functioning SA node of the heart
Afterdepolarisations
- Abnormal depolarisations following the action
potential - Anything which prolongs the duration of the
action potential can allow afterdepolarisations
to occur - Can cause a premature AP to fire
Re-Entry Loop
- Reentry describes a self-sustaining cardiac
rhythm abnormality (several of these can lead
to AF) - In reentry, the action potential propagates in a
circus-like closed loop manner - Conduction Delay
- Accessory Pathway
What is Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome?
- A relatively common heart condition that
causes the heart to beat abnormally fast for
periods of time - The cause is an extra electrical connection in
the heart
Pathophysiology of Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome
An extra electrical pathway between your heart’s upper chambers (atria) and lower chambers (ventricles) causes a rapid heartbeat (tachycardia)
What are the basic classes of anti-arrhythmic
drugs? (4/5 Classes)
- Class I: Drugs that block voltage-sensitive
sodium channels - Class II: Antagonists of β-adrenoceptors
- Class III: Drugs that block potassium channels
- Class IV: Drugs that block calcium channels
- Class V: Drugs that don’t fit the first 4 classes
Class I Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs: Mechanism? Examples?
- Only blocks voltage gated Na+ channels in
open or inactive state - Dissociates rapidly in time for next AP
- Typical example is the local anaesthetic
lidocaine
When is Lidocaine Used? Why does it work?
- Sometimes used following MI if patient shows
signs of ventricular tachycardia - Damaged areas of myocardium may be
depolarised and fire automatically - More Na+ channels are open in depolarised
tissue - Lidocaine blocks these Na+ channels
- Prevents automatic firing of depolarised
ventricular tissue
Class II Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs: Mechanism? Examples?
- Block sympathetic action
- Act at β1-adrenoreceptors in the heart
- Decrease slope of pacemaker potential in SA
- Examples: propranolol, atenolol (β-blockers)
When is β-blockers Used? Why does it work?
- Used following an MI
- MI causes increased sympathetic activity,
arrhythmias may be partly due to increased
sympathetic activity - β-blockers prevent ventricular arrhythmias
- Also reduces O2 demand (thus reduces
myocardial ischaemia) - β-blockers slow conduction in AV node (thus
prevent supraventricular tachycardias)
Class III Anti-Arrhythmic Drugs: Mechanism? Examples?
- Prolong the action potential, mainly by blocking
K+ channels - This lengthens the absolute refractory period
- Prevents another AP occurring too soon (in
theory) - Amiodarone, sotalol, dofetilide, and ibutilide