Therapeutic effects of intralipid and medialipid emulsionsin a rat model of verapamil toxicity.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Lipid emulsions are promising as a potential new therapy for severe verapamil overdose. Our purpose is to draw attention to the choice of solution by investigating the efficacy of intralipid 20% or medialipid 20% in verapamil overdose.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen adult Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: control (saline; Group C), intralipid 20% (Group I), and medialipid 20% (Group M). Rats were anesthetized with ketamine. Blood gas analysis, baseline heart rate (HRb ), and mean arterial pressure (MAPb ) were evaluated. Verapamil at 2.5 mg kg-1 min-1 was infused until the HRb and MAPb decreased by 50% and the times to HR0 and MAP0 were recorded. Treatment solutions of the groups were administered as 12.4 mL kg-1 in 5 min.

RESULTS: While HR did not show a difference, MAP showed statistically significant differences among the groups. Intralipid 20% was more efficient than the other two treatments at an early stage; however, as the administration time progressed, medialipid 20% also turned out to be more efficient than the control treatment.

CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that in a toxicity model of rats produced with verapamil, intralipid 20% and medialipid 20% solutions partially eliminate cardiac-depressant effects and increase the survival rate.