Coronary blood flow changes following activation of adrenergic receptors in the conscious dog

The role of coronary vascular adrenergic receptors in changing coronary flow was studied in dogs instrumented to measure left circumflex artery blood flow (CBF), mean coronary artery blood pressure (CBP), and heart rate (HR). Norepinephrine (NE), isoproterenol (IP), and phenylephrine (PH) were injected into the left circumflex artery before and after selective intracoronary alpha- and beta 1- or combined beta 1- and beta 2-receptor blockade. NE, IP, and PH did not alter CBP (112 +/- 6 mmHg). In addition, IP and PH did not affect HR (103 +/- 4 beats/min). NE increased HR to 150 +/- 6 beats/min, which was eliminated by blocking beta 1-receptors with atenolol and by removing the left stellate ganglion. IP increased CBF from 65 +/- 9 to 115 +/- 16 ml/min (mediated by both beta 1- and beta 2-receptors). PH caused an alpha-receptor-mediated coronary vasoconstriction (42 +/- 5 ml/min), which was potentiated by beta 1- and beta 2-receptor blockade. NE caused a biphasic flow response. CBF initially increased to 117 +/- 14 ml/min (mediated predominantly by beta 1-receptors) followed by a prolonged decrease to 54 +/- 7 ml/min (mediated by alpha-receptors). Removing the left stellate ganglion did not affect the CBF response to NE. These data indicate that PH directly stimulates coronary alpha-receptors and IP stimulates myocardial beta 1- and coronary beta 2-receptors. NE also stimulates myocardial cells causing a reflex that increases HR and indirectly increases CBF. The vasoconstriction to NE and PH was not evident after pentobarbital anesthesia, whereas the coronary vasodilation and increase in HR to NE was still present.