Intrathecal clonidine reduces the incidence of ischemia-provoked ventricular arrhythmias in a canine postinfarction heart failure model

ITC reduced ischemia-induced VT/VF in a canine model of healed myocardial infarction with superimposed heart failure and acute ischemia. Results from electrophysiologic testing were consistent with a clonidine-induced reduction in cardiac sympathetic activity from the spinal cord. These data suggest that ITC administration may be a novel approach to treating ventricular arrhythmias.