Amiodarone is a widely used and potent antiarrhythmic agent that is metabolized to desethylamiodarone. Both amiodarone and its metabolite possess antiarrhythmic effect, and both compounds can contribute to toxic side effects. Here, we compare the effect of amiodarone and desethylamiodarone on mitochondrial energy metabolism, membrane potential, and permeability transition and on mitochondria-related apoptotic events. Amiodarone but not desethylamiodarone protects the mitochondrial energy metabolism of the perfused heart during ischemia in perfused hearts. At low concentrations, amiodarone stimulated state 4 respiration due to an uncoupling effect, inhibited the Ca 2ϩ -induced mitochondrial swelling, whereas it dissipated the mitochondrial membrane potential (⌬⌿), and prevented the ischemia-reperfusion-induced release of apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF). At higher concentrations, amiodarone inhibited the mitochondrial respiration and simulated a cyclosporin A (CsA)-independent mitochondrial swelling. In contrast to these, desethylamiodarone did not stimulate state 4 respiration, did not inhibit the Ca 2ϩ -induced mitochondrial permeability transition, did not induce the collapse of ⌬⌿ in low concentrations, and did not prevent the nuclear translocation of AIF in perfused rat hearts, but it induced a CsA-independent mitochondrial swelling at higher concentration, like amiodarone. That is, desethylamiodarone lacks the protective effect of amiodarone seen at low concentrations, such as the inhibition of calcium-induced mitochondrial permeability transition and inhibition of the nuclear translocation of the proapoptotic AIF. On the other hand, both amiodarone and desethylamiodarone at higher concentration induced a CsA-independent mitochondrial swelling, resulting in apoptotic death that explains their extracardiac toxic effect.Amiodarone (2-butyl-3-benzofuranyl 4-[2-(diethylamino)-ethoxy]-3,5-diiodophenyl-ketone hydrochloride) is one of the most effective antiarrhythmic drugs and is frequently used in the clinical practice for treating ventricular and supraventricular arrhythmias. It is a class III antiarrhythmic agent, prolonging action potential duration whose effect may involve blocking of -adrenergic receptors, sodium channels, and L-type calcium channels (Singh and Vaughan Williams, 1970;Nokin et al., 1983;Nattel et al., 1987;Varro et al., 1996). It may also have a role in preventing mortality after myocardial infarction (Julian et al., 1997). Despite its effective antiarrhythmical properties, the use of amiodarone is often limited by its toxic side effects, including thyroid dysfunction, liver, and pancreas fibrosis (Amico et al., 1984;Martin and Howard, 1985). However, the most severe adverse effect of the drug is pulmonary fibrosis, occurring in up to 13% of the patients receiving the amiodarone in doses higher than 400 mg day Ϫ1 (Martin and Rosenow, 1988). The etiology of the amiodarone-induced pulmonary toxicity is unknown.Desethylamiodarone, the major metabolite of amiodarone, also has antiarrhyth...