Lack of effect of diclofenac on the transient outward potassium (I_to) and on the inward rectifier potassium (I_K1) currents in canine ventricular myocytes.

<p>A, <i>top</i>: Representative I_to current traces under control conditions and after application of 50 µM diclofenac. A, <i>bottom</i>: Current – voltage relationships of I_to under control conditions and in the presence of 50 µM diclofenac. Panel B shows steady-state current – voltage relationships of I_K1 before and after application of 50 µM diclofenac. Insets depict the voltage protocol applied during measurements. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = number of measurements/number of animals.</p

Effect of diclofenac on action potentials in canine right ventricular muscle preparations and in Purkinje fibers.

<p>Representative superimposed records (<i>top</i>) demonstrating the effect of 20 µM diclofenac on action potential configuration at 1 s stimulation cycle length (<b>A</b>, right ventricular muscle; <b>B</b>, Purkinje fiber). Cycle length dependent changes in action potential duration (APD₉₀) measured under control conditions and in the presence of 20 µM diclofenac (<i>bottom</i>) in canine right ventricular muscle preparations (<b>A</b>) and in Purkinje fibers (<b>B</b>). Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = number of measurements/number of animals.</p

Effect of diclofenac on the L-type calcium current in canine ventricular myocytes.

<p><i>Top</i> panel shows representative current traces, <i>bottom</i> panel represents current – voltage relationships under control conditions and in the presence of 30 µM diclofenac. Inset indicates the voltage protocol applied during measurements. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = number of measurements/number of animals.</p

Effect of diclofenac on action potential repolarization in canine right ventricular preparations with impaired repolarization reserve.

<p>(A) Representative superimposed action potentials recorded from canine right ventricular muscle preparation at cycle length of 1 s. In these experiments 30 µM BaCl₂ was applied to attenuate the repolarization reserve prior to 20 µM diclofenac superfusion. (B) Cycle length dependent changes in APD₉₀ measured under the specified experimental conditions in canine right ventricular muscle preparation. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = number of measurements/number of animals.</p

Effect of diclofenac on the rapid (I_Kr) and slow (I_Ks) component of the delayed rectifier potassium currents in canine ventricular myocytes.

<p><i>Top</i> panels show representative current traces (A, I_Kr; B, I_Ks), <i>bottom</i> panels represent current – voltage relationships under control conditions and in the presence of 30 µM diclofenac. Insets indicate the voltage protocol applied during measurements. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM, n = number of measurements/number of animals.</p

Echocardiographic parameters in professional soccer players and age matched controls.

<p>IVSd: interventricular septum thickness during diastole; LVPWd: left ventricular posterior wall thickness; LVIDd, LVIDs: left ventricular internal diameter during diastole and systole; n = 23 in each group,</p><p>*<i>p</i><0.05,</p><p>**<i>p</i><0.01 vs. control.</p

Frequency corrected QT interval of age-matched controls and professional soccer players before and following a competitive game.

<p>QTc interval calculated with the Bazett formula was not different in soccer players before the game and was significantly prolonged after the game (<b>A</b>). QTc values calculated with the Fridericia and Hodges formulae but not the Framingham formula showed significant difference between groups before the game, and none of the three calculations yielded any difference between before and after game values in soccer players (<b>B</b>, <b>C</b> and <b>D</b>; n = 76 persons/group; Means ± S.E.M.; *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001 vs. age-matched control; ^###p<0.001 vs. before game values).</p

Histograms showing the distribution of the QT interval.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Controls (empty bars) and soccer players before game (full bars) and (<b>B</b>) controls (empty bars) and soccer players after the game (hashed bars). Bin size is 10 ms. (n = 76 persons/group).</p

Short-term beat-to-beat temporal variability of the RR (STV_RR) and QT (STV_QT) intervals in age-matched controls and professional soccer players before and following a competitive game.

<p>Soccer players had a significantly higher STV_RR compared to controls before the game. STV_RR was similar to controls in soccer players immediately after the game (<b>A</b>). Poincaré plots illustrating short-term temporal variability of the QT interval at rest in a control individual and in a professional soccer player before the game. Note the shift of QT values to the right and upwards in the soccer player indicating QT prolongation and the increased scattering of QT interval values in the soccer player demonstrating increased beat-to-beat variability of the QT interval (<b>B</b>). Short-term QT variability was significantly higher in soccer players both before and after the game compared to controls but also decreased in players compared to pre-game values (<b>C</b>). (n = 76 persons/group; Means ± S.E.M.; ***p<0.001 vs. age-matched control; ^##p<0.01; ^###p<0.001 vs. before game values).</p

The QT intervals of age-matched controls and professional soccer players before and following a competitive game.

<p>The QT interval was significantly longer in soccer players before the game (n = 76 persons/group; ***p<0.001 vs. age-matched control; Means ± S.E.M.; ^###p<0.001 vs. before game values).</p