The radioimmunoassay of digoxin has been examined by comparing RIA data obtained by a clinical laboratory using the method of Smith et al. [New Engi. J. Med. 281, 1212 (1969)] with data obtained in a laboratory using commercially produced [3H]digoxin and [1251]digoxin kits. Correlations between clinical laboratory data and the results with each kit and correlation between kits are presented. Th...

Dear Editor, Digoxin, as a cardiac glycoside extracted from the Digitalis lanata is widely used in the treatment of different heart diseases, such as atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter and heart failure. Its effect is to increase myocardial contractility while mildly prolonging the duration of contraction. The result is decreased heart rate, increased blood pressure and stroke volume, leading ...

-Glucosidase inhibitors ( -GI), such as acarbose and voglibose, are widely used in diabetic patients to suppress postprandial hyperglycemia by interfering with carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, thus delaying glucose absorption (1). Recently, acarbose and voglibose were reported to have different effects on the absorption of digoxin; acarbose has been shown to decrease the absorption of coadminist...

P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is an ATP-dependent efflux membrane transporter involved in many drug pharmacokinetics in humans. Decreasing its expression could enhance the bioavailability of substrates as digoxin. We have recently found that human recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL2) in vivo decreases P-gp expression in intestine and brain of mice and modifies oral digoxin pharmacokinetics. The aim of the ...

1. The effect of treating rats with digoxin and thyroxine for 45 days has been studied. 2. Animals fed with digoxin gained significantly more weight than the control animals. 3. Treatment with digoxin, thyroxine or both produced a similar significant increase in the amount of Na+ + K+ -dependent adenosine triphosphatase in liver without an additive effect. 4. It is suggested that digoxin resist...

OBJECTIVES We sought to determine whether there was a relationship between serum digoxin concentration (SDC), including SDCs typically regarded as low, and clinical efficacy related to digoxin in patients with symptomatic left ventricular dysfunction. BACKGROUND Digitalis glycosides have been used for 200 years in the treatment of heart failure (HF), but the SDC required for optimal clinical ...

A low dose of digoxin is known to reduce mortality and hospitalization in patients with heart failure; however, the safety of digoxin in treating patients with heart failure on maintenance hemodialysis remains controversial. The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness and safety of digoxin at lower doses in patients with heart failure on maintenance hemodialysis using a retro...

Digoxin, a phyto-estrogen, binds with estrogen receptors (ER) and can cause gynecomastia. Among women currently using digoxin, breast and uterus cancer incidences are significantly increased (approximate risk ratios, 1.3-1.5). Both cancers are often estrogen sensitive. In contrast, ovary and cervix cancers are relatively estrogen insensitive, and incidence is unaffected by digoxin exposure. Whe...

BACKGROUND Digoxin remains widely used today despite its narrow therapeutic index and toxicity. The objective of this study was to investigate the percentage of inappropriate use of digoxin and long-term outcomes of elderly patients hospitalized for digoxin toxicity. METHODS The study included 99 consecutive patients hospitalized for digoxin toxicity. The other study criteria for the inapprop...

To clarify the mechanism responsible for age-related differences in tolerance to digitalis, we studied the potassium contents of serum and myocardium and the digoxin concentrations of serum, myocardium, and myocardial microsomal fraction in infant and adult rats. While serum potassium concentration was the same in both infant and adult rats, the potassium content of myocardium found in the infa...