Comparative hemodynamic and hormonal response of enoximone and dobutamine in severe congestive heart failure

The peak hemodynamic effect and hormonal response of the phosphodiesterase inhibitor enoximone (MDL 17,043) were compared with those of dobutamine in 10 patients with severe congestive heart failure. Both agents significantly (p less than 0.05) increased cardiac index, stroke volume index and heart rate. Enoximone tended to decrease mean systemic arterial and pulmonary artery wedge pressures (0.05 less than p less than 0.1), whereas dobutamine did not. Both agents decreased systemic vascular resistance (p less than 0.05). The increase in heart rate was greater with dobutamine than with enoximone (p less than 0.05). Plasma renin activity increased significantly with dobutamine (from 11.3 +/- 13.5 to 17.8 +/- 15.0 ng/ml/hour, p less than 0.01) and with enoximone (from 13.6 +/- 18.3 to 16.6 +/- 18.8 ng/ml/hour, 0.05 less than p less than 0.1). Dobutamine suppressed plasma norepinephrine level (p less than 0.05) and enoximone did not. Neither agent affected the plasma vasopressin level. These data demonstrate a similar acute hemodynamic and hormonal profile for both enoximone and dobutamine. Further, dobutamine, like other beta agonists, provokes renin secretion and may do so to a greater extent than enoximone.