Hypotensive effects of hydroxylamine in intact anesthetized dogs and cats

When given IV in bolus doses to intact anesthetized dogs or cats, hydroxylamine hydrochloride produced transient but precipitous falls in the mean arterial blood pressure in a dose-related manner, as well as a significant methemoglobinemia. The half-time for recovery of the mean arterial pressure was also dose-related. These effects were very similar to those elicited by comparable doses of sodium nitrite, except that the half-recovery time for return to normal blood pressure was somewhat longer with nitrite. Although hydroxylamine has long been known to relax vascular smooth muscle in vitro, we are not aware of previous demonstrations of hypotensive effects in vivo. Acute poisoning by either nitrite or hydroxylamine is apt to result in both an anemic hypoxia due to methemoglobinemia and a stagnat (hypokinetic) hypoxia due to direct vasodilation. Hydroxylamine, but not nitrite, also appeared to stimulate respiration possibly through an effect on the chemoreceptors of the carotid body.