Long-Lasting Protective Effect of Anipamil, a New Calcium Entry Blocker, against Myocardial Ischemia and Reperfusion Damage

It has been shown that the calcium antagonist verapamil can afford, when used prophylactically, substantial protection against the damage caused by ischemia and reperfusion. However, verapamil may have several potential disadvantages when administered during the early stage of acute myocardial infarction. It can exacerbate heart failure and tachyarrhythmias and, due to a relative short half-life, it has to be administered continuously. The authors have investigated whether the new long-acting calcium antagonist anipamil, which is a derivative of verapamil, has protective effects on ischemic myocardium similar to those observed for verapamil and how long the protective effects persist after cessation of therapy. Adult male New Zealand white rabbits were used.