Structure-activity relationships of synthetic digitoxigenyl glycosides.

Antiviral, cytotoxic and anti-ATPase activities of 14 synthetic digitoxigenyl glycosides were compared with each other. The activities of those containing gentiobioside and melibioside were much weaker than the others. On the other hand, the three activities were highly correlated with each other.

Effect of halothane on in vivo and in vitro cardiotoxicity of an aminocardenolide.

Halothane opposes cardiotoxicity of neutral-sugar digitalis compounds in intact animals, presumably by depressing a sympathetic component of arrhythmogenesis. However, halothane also produces a dose-related reduction in arrhythmogenicity of ouabain in isolated canine Purkinje fibers, suggesting that the anesthetic may oppose direct mechanisms of cardiotoxicity as well. The present study examined in vivo and in vitro the effect of halothane on the arrhythmogenicity of ASI-222 (3-beta-O[4-amino-4-6-dideoxy-beta-D-galactopyranosyl] digitoxigen in HCl), a highly polar aminocardenolide with no sympathetic component to cardiotoxicity. For in vivo studies, ASI-222 was infused at a rate of 1 microgram/kg/min until appearance of third-degree atrioventricular (AV) block or sustained ventricular arrhythmias in 5 conscious (control) and 6 halothane-anesthetized (1.4% end-tidal) dogs. For in vitro studies, standard microelectrode techniques were used to measure action potentials (AP) in seven excised canine Purkinje fibers superfused with oxygenated Krebs-Henseleit buffer. AP were recorded during control superfusion, after induction of toxicity with 10(-7) M ASI-222, and during exposure to 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0% halothane. Purkinje fibers were paced at 500-ms cycle lengths (CL) for 20 beats, and the amplitude of delayed afterdepolarizations (DAD) were recorded. Pacing at 250 ms CL was used to trigger ectopy. In vivo studies showed no difference in the cardiotoxic dose of ASI-222 between control dogs and those anesthetized with 1.4% halothane. However, in 4 of 6 anesthetized dogs, acutely increasing the inspired halothane concentration suppressed arrhythmias once end-tidal concentration were >2.2%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Altered distribution and toxicity of digitoxigenin in fasted mice.

Intravenous administration of digitoxigenin (DTXGN) evokes seizure episodes in mice which may be dependent on brain biogenic amines such as serotonin (5-HT). Fasting is known to have effects on both drug toxicity and brain 5-HT synthesis. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of overnight fasting on DTXGN toxicity. The i.v. LD-50 of DTXGN was increased by 61% in fasted mice. Adjustment of DTXGN dose for the decrease in body weight of fasted mice did not alter the fasting induced protection. A loading dose of 1-tryptophan (25 mg/kg, i.p.) did not alter mortality rates in either fed or fasted mice. Cortical levels of 3H-DTXGN were decreased significantly by 25% in fasted mice. Liver and blood levels were elevated significantly. These data suggest that decreased DTXGN toxicity is associated with a decrease in its distribution to the cerebral cortex and emphasize the importance of acute dietary status in the expression of drug toxicity.

Effect of cardiac beta-adrenergic blockade or denervation on cardiotoxicity of digoxin and an aminosugar cardenolide.

This study examined the role of cardiac beta-adrenergic receptors and cardiac sympathetic and vagal nerves in the cardiotoxicity of 3-beta-0-(4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-beta-D-glucopyranosyl) digitoxigenin hydrochloride (ASI-254). Vagally intact dogs received a constant rate intravenous infusion of either digoxin or ASI-254 in the presence and absence of practolol. Practolol pretreatment increased the dose of digoxin required to produce arrhythmias and markedly altered the pattern of toxicity, but did not alter the lethal dose. The terminal event was cardiac standstill rather than ventricular fibrillation as seen in digoxin control dogs. Practolol did not alter the toxic dose of ASI-254 and produced little change in the pattern of cardiotoxicity; both control and practolol-treated dogs died in cardiac standstill. Surgical sympathectomy did not alter the toxic dose of ASI-254, the character of toxicity, or the lethal dose compared to neurally intact dogs. However, vagal innervation may play a role in determining the type of cardiotoxicity produced by ASI-254. Vagotomy alone did not alter the toxic or the lethal dose of ASI-254; vagotomy did, however, alter the character of cardiotoxicity and terminal event. Our results indicate that ASI-254 infused intravenously does not interact with sites, central or peripheral, which activate the sympathetic nervous system. ASI-254 administered into the lateral ventricles produced signs of increased cardiac sympathetic nervous system activity. Tachycardia and arrhythmias produced by ICV ASI-254 appear to be neurally mediated since ganglionic blockade blunted these effects. These results suggest that ASI-254 is capable of interacting with central sympathetic nervous system structures, but in contrast to digoxin, access to these structures from intravenous administration is limited.

Inotropic and toxic effects of a polar cardiac glycoside derivative in the dog.

It has been suggested that central nervous system (CNS) neuroexcitation plays an important role in digitalis-induced cardiac arrhythmias. To elucidate further the role of the CNS in digitalis-induced arrhythmias, the inotropic and toxic effects of a highly polar semisynthetic cardiac glycoside, 3beta-O-(4 amino-4,6 dideoxy-beta-D-galactopyranosyl)-digitoxigenin (ASI-222) were compared to those of digoxin and correlated with plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) concentrations of each drug. Thirteen dogs anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital were given repeated intravenous doses of digoxin or ASI-222. Ventricular tachycardia was elicited at a mean dose of digoxin of 0.12 mg/kg, compared with 0.09 mg/kg for ASI-222 (not significant). Terminal ventricular fibrillation occurred after 0.18 mg/kg of digoxin, a value significantly larger than the ASI-222 dose (0.14 mg/kg, P less than 0.05) required to produce lethal arrhythmias. Digoxin produced a 21% increase in LV dP/dt at a plasma digoxin concentration of 20.0 +/- 2 ng/ml (mean +/- SEM) 30 minutes after 0.05 mg/kg; the CSF digoxin concentration at this time averaged 0.7 +/- 0.1 ng/ml. At death, the plasma digoxin concentration was 88 +/- 16 ng/ml and CSF digoxin concentration was 5.7 +/- 1.6 ng/ml. ASI-222 produced a similar 25% increase in LV dP/dt 30 minutes after administration of 0.05 mg/kg, with a plasma concentration of 18 +/- 2 ng/ml as determined by a newly developed radioimmunoassay. The plasma ASI-222 concentration at death, 95 +/- 18 ng/ml, was similar to that of digoxin. However, CSF samples at 30 minutes and at death showed no detectable levels of ASI-222. Thus, despite similar inotropic and toxic responses and similar plasma drug concentrations compared to digoxin, ASI-222 was demonstrated to have limited if any access to the CNS as judged by CSF concentrations. These findings suggest that direct CNS stimulation does not play a primary part in the genesis of digitalis-induced cardiac arrhythmias in this experimental model, or that CNS effects are mediated by an area or areas lacking an effective blood-brain barrier.

Pharmacological studies of a new 4-aminosugar cardiac glycoside (ASI-222).

ASI-222,3beta-O-(4-amino-4,6-dideoxy-beta-d-galactopyranosyl) digitoxigenin, is a semi-synthetic cardiac glycoside patterned after a natural glycoside obtained from Cambodia. Effects of ASI-222 on contractile force in the isolated rabbit atria, cardiac contractile force, cardiac rate, ventricular excitability and functional refractory period in dogs, and acute toxicity in mice have been compared to those effects of ouabain. Both electrically driven and spontaneously beating atria demonstrated more rapid onset and greater maximum increases in contractile force with ASI-222 than with ouabain in equal bath concentrations. In the dog, ASI-222 increased cardiac contractile force more rapidly and at a lower cumulative dose than ouabain. Moreover, the maximum increase in contractile force obtained with ASI-222 was greater than that obtained with ouabain. The occurrence of ventricular ectopic beats was observed at a higher cumulative dose of ASI-222 than for ouabain. Also, ASI-222 produced a decrease in ventricular excitability and an increase in functional refractory period ot the ventricle. Ouabain, in the same molar dose, produced either no change or a slight increase in these parameters. Our data indicate that ASI-222 has a greater therapeutic index than ouabain. This difference may be partially explained by effects of ASI-222 on electrical properties of the heart.