The cardiovascular effects of the surfactant pluronic F68 in anesthetized dogs

We tested the cardiovascular actions of the surfactant Pluronic F68 by infusing it into anesthetized dogs, in doses approximating those which would be received when Fluosol-DA were used to resuscitate moderate or severe hemorrhage (0.66 and 1.11 g/Kg). In order to alleviate the reactions to Pluronic, the surfactant was purified by treatment with activated charcoal and the dogs were pretreated with corticosterone. Pluronic F68 caused dose-dependent increments in cardiac filling pressures and in systemic and pulmonary arterial blood pressure. Heart rate and contractility remained unchanged. There was an increase in the cardiac output which was dose-dependent and unrelated to the filling pressures. Regional blood flow, as determined by radionuclide-labelled microspheres, tended to increase, but only that to the heart, kidney cortex and lung (bronchial arterial) increased to a statistically significant extent. It would appear that Pluronic F68, when purified with charcoal and after steroid prophylaxis, possesses significant hemorheologic and cardiovascular effects, indicating the need for further investigation of various purification methods and the effects of purified preparations.