title: Effect of dobutamine on skeletal muscle metabolism in patients with congestive heart failure.
abstract: Dobutamine is known to increase leg blood flow during exercise in patients with heart failure. However, it is uncertain whether the increased flow is delivered to working skeletal muscle. In 7 patients with heart failure, the effects of dobutamine were examined on calf phosphorus-31 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) spectra and femoral vein blood flow during rest and upright plantar flexion. During upright plantar flexion every 3 seconds, dobutamine increased femoral venous blood flow (control 1.7 +/- 0.1; dobutamine 2.1 +/- 1.0 liters/min; p less than 0.05) and increased femoral venous O2 saturation (control 24 +/- 5%; dobutamine 31 +/- 2%; p less than 0.05), indicating improved total leg blood flow. However, dobutamine did not change the slope of the relation between systemic VO2 and the calf inorganic phosphate to phosphocreatine relation (control 0.0054 +/- 0.0039; dobutamine 0.0056 +/- 0.0032; difference not significant) and did not change muscle pH, suggesting no improvement in blood flow to active skeletal muscle. These findings suggest that dobutamine does not improve oxygen delivery to working skeletal muscle in patients with heart failure, despite its ability to increase cardiac output and limb blood flow.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ferraro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seestedt
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chance
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D004280:Dobutamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000502:physiology; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007866:Leg / Q000098:blood supply; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D010758:Phosphorus; D012039:Regional Blood Flow
chemical_list: D010758:Phosphorus; D004280:Dobutamine