Efficacy of milrinone versus nitroglycerin in controlling pulmonary arterial hypertension induced by intravenous injections of absolute ethanol in anesthetized dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the attenuating effects of milrinone versus nitroglycerin on pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) increase caused by repeat intravenous bolus injection of absolute ethanol in anesthetized dogs.


METHODS
Twenty-four dogs were randomly distributed into three groups: a control group (group C), a nitroglycerin group (treated with a continuous infusion of nitroglycerin at 5.0 microg/kg/min; group N), and a milrinone group (treated with a continuous infusion of milrinone at 3.0 microg/kg/min after an initial bolus dose of 100 microg/kg; group M). Absolute ethanol (0.1 mL/kg) was injected at 10-minute intervals via a 5-F angiographic catheter advanced into the proximal portion of the inferior vena cava. Immediately before and after each intravenous injection of absolute ethanol, hemodynamic values were obtained through a pulmonary arterial catheter.


RESULTS
Group M showed more stable hemodynamic values of systolic, mean, and diastolic PAP and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) compared with groups C and N. In addition, group M showed significantly higher values of cardiac output versus group C at 10 minutes after the 10th bolus of ethanol. After restoration of spontaneous breathing, group M also showed the least hemodynamic changes in systolic, mean, and diastolic PAPs and PVR among the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Although a continuous infusion of nitroglycerin or milrinone effectively prevented cardiovascular deterioration, milrinone was superior to nitroglycerin in managing the acute hemodynamic changes that resulted from repeated intravenous bolus injections of absolute ethanol (0.1 mL/kg) in healthy anesthetized dogs.
Kim
Jong Sung
JS
Center for Laboratory Animal Research, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50, Il won-Dong, Kangnam-Ku, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
Nam
Mi Hyun
MH
Do
Young Soo
YS
Lee
Chul Joong
CJ
Kim
Chung Su
CS
Sim
Woo Seok
WS
Park
Kwang Bo
KB
Lee
Sang Hyun
SH
Han
Jin Soo
JS
Shin
Byung Seop
BS
Kim
Hwi Yool
HY
D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004285:Dogs; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007275:Injections, Intravenous / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D020105:Milrinone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D012597:Sclerosing Solutions; D000431:Ethanol; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D020105:Milrinone