Effects of nifedipine on total cardiac output distribution in conscious rat

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the "calcium channel blocker" nifedipine (NF) on cardiocirculatory dynamics and the total distribution of cardiac output in the conscious rat preparation. Animals were instrumented for right atrial, left ventricular, arterial and venous pressure recordings and the radioactive microsphere technique was used to measure regional blood flow and cardiac output before (control) and during the i.v. infusion of either NF at three dosage levels [0.1, 0.6 and 1.5 mg (kg X hr)-1] or vehicle (ethyl alcohol and polyethylene glycol) at rates matching those of the NF protocol [0.015, 0.1 and 0.5 ml(min)-1]. The maximum rate of infusion represented approximately a 2% increase in blood volume per minute. Systemic vascular resistance, stroke volume, regional vascular resistances and the regional percentage of distribution of total cardiac output were calculated. In the experimental group (N = 7), NF at the highest dosage level lowered mean arterial pressure by 20% and resulted in a significantly lower systemic vascular resistance and left ventricular end diastolic pressure compared with the parallel vehicle control data. The parallel vehicle only slightly but significantly lowered heart rate. The most predominant circulatory effect of NF was a significant 64% reduction in coronary vascular resistance also reflected in a substantial increase in coronary blood flow. NF also dilated the hepatic arterial circulation. The net effects of NF on cardiac output distribution involved a significant fractional shift away from the cutaneous and splenic circulatory beds in favor of the coronary, hepatic arterial and gastrointestinal circulations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)