title: Functional consequences and intracoronary localization of alpha-adrenergic stimulation of the canine coronary circulation.
abstract: Although alpha-adrenergic stimulation can increase coronary vascular resistance, it remains unknown whether the vasoconstriction can override intrinsic coronary regulatory influences to produce ischemia. Methoxamine, 2 to 4 mg, was infused into the circumflex coronary artery of 23 chloralose-anesthetized open chest dogs, and resulted in a 68% increase in coronary vascular resistance. The functional consequence of this increased coronary vascular resistance was assessed by gated radionuclide ventriculography and ST-T wave changes on the electrocardiogram. In six dogs (Group I), aortic pressure changed trivially (less than 5 mm Hg) to allow distinction between direct effects of the flow reduction and indirect effects of increased aortic pressure. In this group, coronary blood flow decreased 33% from a control value of 44 +/- 10 ml/min (p less than 0.001) and left ventricular ejection fraction decreased from 0.54 +/- 0.12 to 0.46 +/- 0.10 (p less than 0.025). In eight dogs (Group II) in which aortic pressure increased by more than 5 mm Hg, left ventricular ejection fraction decreased from 0.46 +/- 0.07 to 0.39 +/- 0.09 (p less than 0.002). Pressure gradients were measured between the aorta and a distal coronary artery branch to calculate small and large vessel resistances separately in four other dogs (Group III). The resistance of small coronary arteries accounted for 92% of the total increase in coronary vascular resistance produced by methoxamine. In five other dogs (Group IV), intracoronary methoxamine, 2 mg, produced ST-T wave changes suggestive of ischemia as it increased coronary vascular resistance by 33%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003326:Coronary Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D004285:Dogs; D004562:Electrocardiography; D008729:Methoxamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000316:Adrenergic alpha-Agonists; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D008729:Methoxamine