Pirmenol inhibits muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-operated K+ current in the guinea pig heart

We examined the effects of pirmenol and disopyramide on the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor-operated K+ current (I[K.ACh]) in atrial cells and on experimental atrial fibrillation in isolated guinea-pig hearts. In isolated atrial myocytes, both pirmenol and disopyramide concentration-dependently inhibited the I(K.ACh) induced by carbachol or intracellular loading of GTPgammaS. Their inhibitory effects on the carbachol-induced current were more potent than those on GTPgammaS-induced current, suggesting that these drugs inhibit I(K.ACh) mainly by blocking muscarinic receptors. In Langendorff-perfused hearts these drugs reversed the carbachol-induced decreases in effective refractory periods and atrial fibrillation threshold. These drugs may be useful for the prevention of vagally induced atrial fibrillation.