Mental stress may induce myocardial ischemia and ventricular arrhythmia in
patients with coronary artery disease, and cholinergic stimulation is a pot
ential protective mechanism. The purpose of this study was to determine the
effect of pyridostigmine bromide (PYR), a reversible cholinesterase inhibi
tor, on the cardiac responses to a mental stress challenge. Twelve healthy
young volunteers were submitted to a mental stress test (arithmetic test) 2
hours after the oral administration of either placebo or PYR (45 mg) on tw
o separate days, following a randomized crossover double-blind protocol. He
art rate was reduced after both placebo and PYR (p < 0.05), but the cardiac
responses to the mental stress were lower with PYR (p < 0.05): mean RR int
erval (mean +/- SE) - placebo: 730 +/- 19 msec; PYR: 769 +/- 21 msec; Peak
systolic pressure - placebo: 129 +/- 4 mmHg; PYR: 124 +/- 3 mmHg; Peak dias
tolic pressure placebo: 92 +/- 3 mmHg; PYR: 89 +/- 4 mmHg; Mean rate-pressu
re product - placebo: 10,496 +/- 412 bpm x mmHg; PYR: 3,746 +/- 383 bpm x m
mHg. In conclusion, 45 mg of pyridostigmine blunted the presser and chronot
ropic responses to mental stress in healthy young subjects.