title: Assessment of left ventricular end-systolic pressure-volume relations with an impedance catheter and transient inferior vena cava occlusion: use of this system in the evaluation of the cardiotonic effects of dobutamine, milrinone, Posicor and epinephrine.
abstract: The end-systolic pressure-volume relation has been postulated as a load-independent measure of cardiac contractility, but has been difficult to measure because of technical problems associated with the serial measurement of intracardiac volume over a physiologic range of ventricular loading conditions. Utilizing a multielectrode impedance catheter to assess continuous, on-line left ventricular relative volume during transient inferior vena cava occlusion, a method is described for determining the end-systolic pressure-volume relation and for assessing changes in this relation secondary to inotropic modulation. In particular, using this method, the relative inotropic properties were determined of four drugs: dobutamine, milrinone, epinephrine and an experimental cardiotonic agent (Ro 13-6438, Posicor). Left ventricular micromanometer pressure and impedance catheter volume were measured continuously in 10 open chest, anesthetized dogs and 14 pigs. Arterial pressure was altered over a range of 20 to 60 mm Hg by brief inferior vena cava constriction. A linear end-systolic pressure-volume relation was observed in pressure-volume diagrams constructed from on-line pressure and impedance catheter recordings. Administration of dobutamine, milrinone and epinephrine resulted in a leftward shift and an increase in the slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation as compared with baseline; Posicor did not alter the slope over a range of doses, despite an increase in the cardiac output secondary to arterial vasodilation. Volume changes as measured by the impedance method closely paralleled simultaneous changes in the ultrasonic crystal-determined segment length, and the impedance end-systolic pressure-volume relation slope was reproducible with repeated load-altering maneuvers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002307:Cardiography, Impedance; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003250:Constriction; D004280:Dobutamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004285:Dogs; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D020105:Milrinone; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects*; D011728:Pyridones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects*; D013552:Swine; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior
chemical_list: D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D011728:Pyridones; D011799:Quinazolines; D004280:Dobutamine; C040850:quazinone; D020105:Milrinone; D004837:Epinephrine