1. Amiodarone is a drug used to treat people who have unusually high heart rates

Question

1. Amiodarone is a drug used to treat people who have unusually high heart rates, called tachycardia, and works by interfering with the function of voltage-gated potassium channels. Given the fact that the generation of action potentials in the heart are what cause the heart to beat, explain (at the cellular level) how amiodarone slows down the heart.

2. Jan and Steve, both physicians, are spending the summer hiking the Appalachian trail. Halfway through journey, Steve became severely dehydrated and were forced to stop to rest. Jan prepared Steve’s canteen every four hours by adding a salt packet and a small amount of honey from their travel supplies. Explain, using your knowledge of cellular transport processes, why Jan added these items.

Explanation / Answer

1. Amiodarone is a Anti arrythmic drug used to treat tachycardia.

Mechanism of action:

Amiodarone effects on the action potential of cardiac muscle. The action potential of cardiac muscle have 5 distinct phases ( 0, 1, 2, 3, 4) . Amiodarone prolongs the phase 3 (repolarization) of cardiac action potential . It blocks calcium channels on SA node and AV nodal fibers and increases the refractory period. Amiodarone also acts on ventricular muscle, bundle of his and purkinjee fibers and prolonged their refractory period but conduction rate remain unaffected.

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