title: Effects of dopamine and domperidone on ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia after 8 h of isocapnic hypoxia.
abstract: Acclimatization to altitude involves an increase in the acute hypoxic ventilatory response (AHVR). Because low-dose dopamine decreases AHVR and domperidone increases AHVR, the increase in AHVR at altitude may be generated by a decrease in peripheral dopaminergic activity. The AHVR of nine subjects was determined with and without a prior period of 8 h of isocapnic hypoxia under each of three pharmacological conditions: 1) control, with no drug administered; 2) dopamine (3 microg. min-1. kg-1); and 3) domperidone (Motilin, 40 mg). AHVR increased after hypoxia (P </= 0. 001). Dopamine decreased (P </= 0.01), and domperidone increased (P </= 0.005) AHVR. The effect of both drugs on AHVR appeared larger after hypoxia, an observation supported by a significant interaction between prior hypoxia and drug in the analysis of variance (P </= 0. 05). Although the increased effect of domperidone after hypoxia of 0. 40 l. min-1. %saturation-1 [95% confidence interval (CI) -0.11 to 0. 92 l. min-1. %-1] did not reach significance, the lower limit for this confidence interval suggests that little of the increase in AHVR after sustained hypoxia was brought about by a decrease in peripheral dopaminergic inhibition.
authors.affiliation: University Laboratory of Physiology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pedersen
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Dorrington
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Robbins
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000502:physiology*; D004294:Domperidone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018492:Dopamine Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018492:Dopamine Antagonists; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D004294:Domperidone; D004298:Dopamine