Effects of catecholamines on the pulmonary venous bed in sheep.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of various catecholaminergic agents on pulmonary venous tone.


METHODS
Prospective, randomized, controlled, experimental study.


METHODS
Physiology laboratory of a university hospital.


METHODS
Thirty anesthetized, mechanically ventilated adult sheep.


METHODS
Four groups of six animals received 1-hr infusions of norepinephrine (0.5 microg/kg/min), epinephrine (0.5 microg/kg/ min), dopamine (10 microg/kg/min), or dobutamine (10 microg/kg/min).


RESULTS
A 7-Fr pulmonary artery catheter was placed in a proximal location to measure cardiac output and pressure in a large pulmonary vein (Ppw) after balloon inflation. Another catheter wedged in a small pulmonary artery measured pressure in a small pulmonary vein (Pdw). A third catheter measured left atrial pressure (PLA ). This method was able to detect the pulmonary venoconstrictive effects of histamine in a separate group of six animals. Pdw-PLA increased from a mean of 2.0+/-1.7 to 3.0+/-1.5 (SD) cm H2O (p < .01), 2.3+/-1.6 to 4.4+/-1.3 cm H2O (p < .01), and 1.7+/-1.0 to 3.5+/-2.2 cm H2O (p < .05) with norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine, respectively. All of these drugs increased Pdw-Ppw, but only norepinephrine and epinephrine increased Ppw-PLA . No change in either pressure difference was observed with dobutamine. Elevation of cardiac output alone could not account for these findings since the increase in cardiac output induced by fluid infusion did not change the pressure differences.


CONCLUSIONS
Norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine at doses commonly used in humans increase pulmonary venous tone in sheep.
Teboul
J L
JL
Service de Réanimation Médicale et Laboratoire de Physiologie Hôpital de Bicêtre, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud, Université Paris XI, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France.
Douguet
D
D
Mercat
A
A
Depret
J
J
Richard
C
C
Zelter
M
M
D000818:Animals; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004280:Dobutamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006632:Histamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012756:Sheep; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects
D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D002395:Catecholamines; D004280:Dobutamine; D006632:Histamine; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine