Dobutamine enhances cardiodepressant effects of receptor-mediated coronary endothelial stimulation

J Bartunek1, A M Shah, M Vanderheyden

  • 1Cardiovascular Center, Aalst, Belgium.

Circulation
|January 7, 1997
PubMed

Insights

Beta-adrenergic stimulation with dobutamine enhances the heart-relaxing effects of substance P in patients with heart transplants and cardiomyopathy. This interaction may involve nitric oxide, improving myocardial contractile performance.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pharmacology
  • Physiology

Background:

  • Intracoronary substance P infusion reduces left ventricular pressures by promoting earlier relaxation via paracrine action of endothelial mediators.
  • Beta-adrenergic stimulation also induces earlier left ventricular relaxation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of beta-adrenergic stimulation on the myocardial contractile response to intracoronary substance P infusion in humans.

Main Methods:

  • Data collected from 13 heart transplant recipients and 3 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.
  • Left ventricular pressure recordings obtained during intracoronary substance P infusion.
  • Measurements repeated during concurrent intravenous dobutamine administration.

Main Results:

  • Dobutamine significantly increased the fall in left ventricular end-systolic pressure and peak systolic pressure induced by substance P in both patient groups.
  • The cardiodepressant effect of substance P was enhanced by dobutamine.

Conclusions:

  • Dobutamine potentiates the cardiodepressant effects of substance P on myocardial contractile performance in transplant recipients and cardiomyopathy patients.
  • This enhancement may stem from an interaction between beta-adrenergic stimulation and endothelial mediators like nitric oxide.
Abstract

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