Influence of adenosine on left ventricular performance in conscious dogs

Adenosine, a potent vasodilator of both the peripheral and coronary vasculature, is increasingly used to produce controlled hypotension in the clinical and experimental setting. To define the influence of adenosine on left ventricular (LV) performance in conscious closed-chest dogs were studied six chronically instrumented autonomically blocked animals before and after the administration of 0.3, 0.6, and 1.2 microM.kg-1.min-1 infusions of adenosine. Systolic performance was quantified by the end-systolic pressure-volume (Pes-Ves) and stroke work end-diastolic volume (SW-EDV) relations. Active diastolic performance was quantified by the time constant of LV relaxation (T), whereas passive diastolic properties were assessed by comparing LV pressures at a common LV volume. Despite a decrease of mean arterial pressure of 51 mmHg, adenosine did not change the slope of the Pes-Ves relation or the end-systolic volume at a pressure of 100 mmHg. The slope of the SW-EDV relation was also unchanged, and its volume axis intercept was slightly reduced. There were no differences in T or in the diastolic pressure at a common LV volume. Thus adenosine appears to have little influence on systolic or diastolic LV performance aside from its marked affect on afterload, indicating it is a useful agent for producing controlled hypotension.