title: Prostacyclin effect on cardiovascular system in man evaluated by echocardiography.
abstract: This was an echocardiographic study of the cardiovascular effects of prostacyclin (PGI2) infused intravenously to human volunteers at the rate of 20 ng . kg-1 . min-1  for 10 minutes. The following parameters were recorded in the steady state, at one-minute intervals throughout infusion and the ensuing recovery period: systolic, diastolic, and mean blood pressure (SBP, DBP, MBP); heart rate (HR); left ventricle end-diastolic (EDD) and end-systolic diameter (ESD); stroke volume index (SVI); cardiac index (CI); peripheral vascular resistance (PVR); left ventricle fractional shortening (FS) and ejection fraction (EF). We detected a progressive reduction of MBP without any HR modification. MBP reduction was associated with a reduction of PVR and a parallel rise of CI and SVI. There was also an increase of FS and EF reflecting a reduced ESD. We conclude that PGI2 infused in man at the rate stated above causes hypotension reflecting an arterial vasodilating effect; a lack of heart rate reflex response to afterload reduction (probably a nerve-mediated effect of PGI2); and no venous vasodilation, judging from the absence of any change in end-diastolic diameter.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects*; D004452:Echocardiography; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D011453:Prostaglandins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000187:drug effects; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D011453:Prostaglandins; D011464:Epoprostenol