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On the Inotropic and Arrhythmogenic Effects of Digitalis

  • Conference paper
Myocardial Failure

Part of the book series: International Boehringer Mannheim Symposia ((BOEHRINGER))

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Abstract

The therapeutic actions of digitalis in congestive heart failure have been known for nearly two centuries (44). Physiologists have long been interested in explaining the cardiotonic action at the level of the myocardial cell. Indeed, this problem has attracted a vast number of experimental studies, but in spite of these efforts, no clear picture has emerged [see (24) J. In this paper we would like to discuss some recent progress in understanding the therapeutic and toxic effects of digitalislike compounds. This topic seems appropriate for this volume because of its common interest to basic researchers and clinicians alike. We will be concerned with three related questions: What is the cellular mechanism of the positive inotropic effect of cardiotonic steroids? What is the electrophysiological basis of digitalis arrhythmias? Do the isotropic and arrhythmogenic actions share a common basis?

This work was supported by grants from the U. S. Public Health Service, an Established Investigatorship of the American Heart Association (to R. W. T.), and a Nachwuchsstipendium of the Swiss National Science Foundation (to R. W.).

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Authors
  1. R. W. Tsien
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  2. R. Weingart
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  3. W. J. Lederer
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  4. R. S. Kass
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Medizinische Klinik I, Klinikum Großhadern, Marchioninistraße 15, D-8000, München 70, Germany

    G. Riecker , H.-D. Bolte , B. Lüderitz , B. E. Strauer  & E. Erdmann , , ,  & 

  2. School of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, University of Pennsylvania, 19174, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    A. Weber M.D., Ph.D.

  3. Hammersmith Hospital, Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London, Ducane Road, London W12, England

    J. F. Goodwin M.D., F.R.C.P.

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© 1977 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Tsien, R.W., Weingart, R., Lederer, W.J., Kass, R.S. (1977). On the Inotropic and Arrhythmogenic Effects of Digitalis. In: Riecker, G., et al. Myocardial Failure. International Boehringer Mannheim Symposia. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46352-5_34

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46352-5_34

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-08225-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-46352-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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