Electrical activity of the heart and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors on the hyperpolarising action of enalapril

This paper describes the effect of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors on the electrical properties of the heart, particularly the effect of these drugs on heart cell coupling and impulse propagation and the possible implications for the generation of malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The hyperpolarising action of enalapril is described and evidence is presented that the activation of the sodium-potassium pump is involved in the increment in membrane potential elicited by the ACE inhibitor.