[Pulmonary and systemic vascular effects of ATP in man]

ATP induced-vasodilation was studied using Striadyne, on pulmonary and systemic arterial bed on 10 patients with stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Such significant effects varied according to the dose: pulmonary vasodilation reached maximal level during low rate infusion (2 mumoles/kg/20 min) and systemic vasodilation was related to the dose. The latter became dominant at maximal dose (5 mumoles/kg/20 min). Simultaneously, on four patients, circulating blood level of ATP was assessed. It increased in proportion with the infusion rate and reached respectively 167% and 149 of baseline level on arterial and mixed venous blood.