Effect of isoproterenol on regional pulmonary perfusion and its blockade by propranolol

Effects of isoproterenol and propranolol on regional pulmonary perfusion were assessed in the dog. In each experiment the right upper lobe was isolated in vivo by a balloon catheter and artificially ventilated with nitrogen, air or 60% oxygen in nitrogen before and after administration of the medicaments listed above. The rest of the lungs kept breathing air spontaneously. Following administration of isoproterenol regional pulmonary perfusion increased in the hypoxic right upper lobe induced by artificial ventilation with nitrogen, but the increase was not observed when isoproterenol was administered following pretreatment with propranolol. Administration of propranolol alone did not induce any change in regional pulmonary perfusion distribution. When artificial ventilation was done in the right upper lobe either with air or 60% oxygen in nitrogen, thus inducing regional less hypoxia or hyperoxia, no change in regional perfusion was observed with any of the medication. Thus isoproterenol reversed regional hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, but its action was blocked by pretreatment with propranolol. Propranolol per se, however, showed no effect on pulmonary vascular responses to the different alveolar oxygen tensions.