Myocardial oxygen consumption with isoproterenol versus calcium chloride in hypocalcemic ventricular failure in dogs

In 30 dogs on right heart bypass we compared the effects of isoproterenol with those of calcium chloride on myocardial oxygen consumption and on left ventricular function in the setting of ventricular depression produced by ionized hypocalcemia. In 22 dogs (Groups A and B) either isoproterenol or calcium chloride was infused, left ventricular function curves were generated, and end-diastolic pressure vs segment length plots were obtained. In 8 dogs (Group C), with initial hypocalcemia, both isoproterenol and calcium chloride were infused separately in random order to produce an equal decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure at constant mean aortic pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output. Myocardial oxygen consumption and indices of left ventricular function were obtained. In Groups A and B, both drugs, when administered to the ventricle depressed by hypocalcemia, displaced left ventricular function curves upward and to the left. Left ventricular stroke work at constant left ventricular end-diastolic pressure increased (from 13.0 +/- 1.3 to 31.2 +/- 2.3 g X m for isoproterenol; from 13.9 +/- 2.5 to 32.5 +/- 2.5 g X m for calcium chloride). In Group C, there were no significant differences between left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, end-diastolic internal diameter, myocardial oxygen consumption, or peak left ventricular dP/dt in the hypocalcemic periods preceding isoproterenol and calcium chloride infusion. When the two drugs caused matched decreases in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (-7.4 +/- 0.5 cm H2O for isoproterenol; -7.3 +/- 0.8 cm H2O for calcium chloride) there were similar decreases in end-diastolic internal diameter. However, isoproterenol was associated with a significantly greater (P less than 0.001) myocardial oxygen consumption (13.7 +/- 0.4 ml X 100 g-1 X min-1) than calcium chloride infusion (11.9 +/- 0.4 ml X 100 g-1 X min-1), as well as a greater peak left ventricular dP/dt (P less than 0.005).