The association between torsade de pointes and experimentally induced early afterdepolarizations in isolated fibres is well documented. The effect of eight beta-adrenoceptor-blocking drugs (sotalol, nifenalol, acebutolol, dichloroisoproterenol, propranolol, oxprenolol, pindolol, atenolol), and of amiodarone, was studied in isolated spontaneously beating guinea-pig Purkinje fibres by the intracellular microelectrode technique. Phase 3 early afterdepolarizations were initiated by nifenalol hydrochloride (n = 18; 10 mumol/l: 0/18, 40 mumol/l: 3/18, 80 mumol/l: 8/18, 160 mumol/l: 11/18), rac.-(+/-)-sotalol hydrochloride (n = 28; 20 mumol/l: 0/28, 40 mumol/l: 9/28, 80 mumol/l: 20/28), (R)(+)-sotalol hydrochloride (n = 12; 40 mumol/l: 1/12, 80 mumol/l: 4/12), and (S)(-)-sotalol hydrochloride (n = 10, 40 mumol/l: 1/10, 80 mumol/l: 4/10). The arrhythmogenic effect was reversible after a washout period of one hour and early after-depolarizations could be terminated by tetrodotoxin (0.4-1.6 mumol/l, n = 6). Amiodarone only induced early afterdepolarizations at a low extracellular potassium concentration of [K+]o = 1.35 mmol/l (n = 5; 150 mumol/l: 0/5, 300 mumol/l: 1/5). The initiation of early after-depolarizations by sotalol and nifenalol might be induced by an imbalance of sodium inward current and potassium outward currents, and early afterdepolarizations are blocked by tetrodotoxin.