Coronary dilator effects of intracoronary nifedipine and isosorbide dinitrate

Although both nitrates and calcium antagonists may be administered by the intracoronary route, the relative efficacy of these agents and of their combination is unknown. In this study, we investigated the coronary vasodilatory potential of intracoronary nifedipine, isosorbide dinitrate and their combination in patients undergoing routine coronary arteriography. Both normal and diseased segments of coronary arteries were studied. Coronary artery diameters were measured from 35 mm cine film before and after the administration of each drug. Two groups of 10 patients were studied: group I received nifedipine, 0.2 mg, followed by isosorbide dinitrate, 1 mg, group II received isosorbide dinitrate, 1 mg, followed by nifedipine, 0.2 mg. Both agents resulted in significant dilatation of normal and diseased segments of the coronary arteries when injected as the first drug, but neither nifedipine nor isosorbide dinitrate produced significant additional vasodilation when injected as the second drug. The degree of dilatation of both diseased and normal segments produced by either nifedipine or isosorbide dinitrate was similar, suggesting that the dose used, of either drug, produced near maximal coronary vasodilatation. Importantly, drug induced dilatation of stenotic segments was similar to that of normal segments.