Coronary pressure-flow relationship and exercise: contributions of heart rate, contractility, and alpha 1-adrenergic tone.
We examined the impeding effects of exercise on coronary blood flow by analyzing exercise-induced changes in the pressure-flow relationship during maximal coronary vasodilation with adenosine in chronically instrumented dogs and assessed the individual contributions produced by heart rate, contractility, and alpha 1-adrenergic vasoconstriction. Treadmill exercise that increased heart rate from 118 +/- 6 beats/min at rest to 213 +/- 8 beats/min (P < 0.01) decreased maximum coronary blood flows by decreasing the slope of the linear part of the pressure-flow relationship for coronary pressures > or = 30 mmHg (slopeP > or = 30) from 12.3 +/- 0.9 to 10.9 +/- 0.9 ml.min-1 x g-1 x mmHg-1 (P < 0.01) and increasing the measured coronary pressure at zero flow (P zf,measured) from 12.6 +/- 1.2 to 23.3 +/- 2.0 mmHg (P < 0.01). Atrial pacing at 200 beats/min caused an increase of P zf,measured from 15.0 +/- 1.6 to 18.3 +/- 2.1 mmHg (P < 0.05) with no change in slopeP > or = 30. While pacing continued, infusion of dobutamine (20 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1 i.v.) increased contractility to levels similar to those during exercise but caused no significant change in coronary blood flow, as a decrease of the slopeP > or = 30 was compensated for by a slight decrease in P zf,measured. alpha 1-Adrenergic blockade with intracoronary prazosin (10 micrograms/kg) did not prevent the exercise-induced increase of P zf,measured but abolished the decrease of the slopeP > or = 30. When the increases in heart rate, contractility, and alpha 1-adrenergic vasoconstriction were prevented, exercise still increased P zf,measured from 15.8 +/- 2.1 to 21.8 +/- 2.6 mmHg (P < 0.05) but had no effect on the slopeP > or = 30. This residual increase in P zf,measured correlated with the concomitant increase in left ventricular filling pressure. In conclusion, exercise-induced decreases of maximum coronary blood flow were explained by increases in heart rate, alpha 1-adrenergic vasoconstriction, and left ventricular filling pressure, with a minimal contribution of contractility.
Duncker
D J
DJ
Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis 55455.
Van Zon
N S
NS
Crampton
M
M
Herrlinger
S
S
Homans
D C
DC
Bache
R J
RJ
D000818:Animals; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004280:Dobutamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004285:Dogs; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D010805:Physical Conditioning, Animal; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow
D018340:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha-1; D004280:Dobutamine; D011224:Prazosin