Influence of verapamil on total and regional intravascular volume in dogs

Verapamil's influence on intravascular volume (IV) in the total capacitance circulation was examined in anesthetized dogs after mecamylamine or baroreceptor denervation. Blood was drained from the venae cavae to an extracorporeal reservoir and returned to the right atrium at a constant rate so that IV changes could be measured as reciprocal changes in reservoir volume. In 10 dogs, verapamil (50 micrograms/min) caused a decrease in total IV of 74 +/- 12 ml (P less than 0.0005) at 20 min and a decrease in arterial pressure from 79 +/- 5 to 66 +/- 3 mmHg (P less than 0.0005). After evisceration in nine animals, verapamil caused an extrasplanchnic (XSPL) IV decrease of 97 +/- 19 ml (P = 0.08). In 11 animals with separate perfusion and drainage of the splanchnic and XSPL circulations, verapamil caused an XSPL IV decrease of 74 +/- 20 ml (P less than 0.002) and a splanchnic IV increase of 19 +/- 9 ml (P = 0.06). In four animals on cardiopulmonary bypass, IV decreased 154 +/- 66 ml (P less than 0.002) during verapamil administration. Thus total IV decreases due to a decrease in systemic extrasplanchnic volume. Because pressure decreased while arterial flow and venous outflow pressure were constant, a decrease in the resistance to blood return to the central circulation mediates the XSPL volume decrement.