Surfactant alterations and lung fibrosis in a murine model of amiodarone-induced pulmonary fibrosis

Introduction: Amiodarone (AD) belongs to the class III antiarrhythmic drugs, and prolongs phase 3 of the cardiac action potential. Because amiodarone has a low incidence of pro-arrhythmic effects, it is now widely used for acute and chronic treatment of (life-threatening) arrhythmias, but the use is limited by the pulmonary toxicity. Amiodarone may cause an acute pulmonary syndrome that appears just like typical pneumonia – sudden onset of cough and shortness of breath (6–8% of all treatments). This condition usually improves rapidly once amiodarone is stopped. However, amiodarone may also cause a gradual and in…