title: Cardiovascular effects of detomidine, a new alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist, in the conscious pony.
abstract: The cardiovascular effects of detomidine and xylazine were compared in six chronically instrumented, conscious ponies. Ponies were instrumented with a micromanometer in the left ventricular chamber, a Doppler flow probe on a coronary artery and sonomicrometer crystals in the left ventricular free wall. Heart rate, ventricular systolic pressure, stroke work, dP/dtmax, minute work and coronary blood flow were measured for 4 h following intravenous injection of detomidine at several doses or xylazine at 1.1 mg/kg. Both drugs caused a profound hypertensive response at 15 s post-injection. The magnitude of the pressure change did not increase with detomidine doses greater than 20 micrograms/kg. There was a dose-dependent effect on the duration of the hypertension. Bradycardia and A-V blockade of similar magnitude followed the hypertension at all drug doses. Both drugs caused a negative inotropic effect on the heart at all doses. Minute work, a mechanical index of myocardial O2 demand, and coronary flow decreased to a similar extent following all drug treatments. With the exception of a greater hypertensive response, detomidine at the dosages studied, produced cardiovascular effects that were very similar to those of the recommended dosage of xylazine.
authors.affiliation: John M. Dalton Research Center, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211.
authors.forename: R D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Sarazan
authors.forename: W A
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Starke
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Krause
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Garner
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects*; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects*; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D014991:Xylazine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D007093:Imidazoles; D014991:Xylazine; C041255:detomidine