Effects of increasing infusion rates of dopamine, dobutamine, epinephrine, and phenylephrine in healthy anesthetized cats.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the cardiopulmonary effects of increasing doses of dopamine, dobutamine, epinephrine, and phenylephrine and measure plasma concentrations of norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine in cats anesthetized with isoflurane.


METHODS
6 healthy adult cats.


METHODS
Each cat was anesthetized with isoflurane (1.5 X minimum alveolar concentration) on 4 occasions. Cardiopulmonary measurements were obtained after a 30-minute stabilization period; 20 minutes after the start of each infusion dose; and 30, 60, and 90 minutes after the infusion was discontinued. Cats received 5 progressively increasing infusions of epinephrine or phenylephrine (0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 microg/kg/min) or dobutamine or dopamine (2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 microg/kg/min). The order of treatment was randomly allocated. Results-All 4 treatments increased oxygen delivery. Heart rate (HR) increased during administration of all drugs except phenylephrine, and mean arterial pressure increased during administration of all drugs except dobutamine. A progressive metabolic acidosis was detected, but whole-blood lactate concentration only increased during administration of epinephrine and dobutamine. Systemic vascular resistance index increased during administration of phenylephrine, decreased during administration of dobutamine, and remained unchanged during administration of dopamine and epinephrine. A positive inotropic effect was detected with all treatments.


CONCLUSIONS
During anesthesia in cats, administration of dopamine, dobutamine, and epinephrine may be useful for increasing cardiac output, with dopamine having the most useful effects. Administration of phenylephrine increased cardiac and systemic vascular resistance indexes with minimal effect on HR and may be useful for increasing mean arterial pressure without increasing HR.
Pascoe
Peter J
PJ
Department of Surgical and Radiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
Ilkiw
Jan E
JE
Pypendop
Bruno H
BH
D000322:Adrenergic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002302:Cardiac Output / Q000187:drug effects; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002415:Cats / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D004280:Dobutamine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004298:Dopamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous / Q000662:veterinary; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011897:Random Allocation; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects
D000322:Adrenergic Agonists; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D010656:Phenylephrine; D004280:Dobutamine; D007530:Isoflurane; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine