title: The differential effects of recombinant brain natriuretic peptide, nitroglycerine and dihydralazine on systemic oxygen delivery and gastric mucosal microvascular oxygenation in dogs.
abstract: Brain natriuretic peptide has vasodilatory properties and may thus increase splanchnic perfusion and oxygenation. We compared the effects of recombinant brain natriuretic peptide on gastric mucosal microvascular haemoglobin oxygenation (reflectance spectrophotometry) and systemic variables with those of equi-hypotensive doses of two other vasodilators (nitroglycerine and dihydralazine). Chronically instrumented, healthy dogs were randomly allocated to receive on different days, one of the three drugs (nitroglycerine and dihydralazine doses titrated to reduce mean arterial pressure by ∼20%). Brain natriuretic peptide significantly increased gastric mucosal microvascular haemoglobin oxygenation selectively, i.e. without concomitant haemodynamic effects. In contrast, the other vasodilators either did not increase gastric mucosal microvascular haemoglobin oxygenation at all (nitroglycerine), or did so only with marked increases in other systemic haemodynamic variables (dihydralazine). Our data suggest a potential role of recombinant brain natriuretic peptide selectively for increasing microvascular mucosal oxygenation. Studies are required to extend these findings to the clinical setting.
authors.affiliation:  Associate Professor.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Schwarte
authors.affiliation:  Staff member.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schwartges
authors.affiliation:  Professor of Anaesthesiology, Department of Anaesthesiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T W L
authors.initials: TWL
authors.lastname: Scheeren
authors.affiliation:  Staff member, Department of Anaesthesiology, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schober
authors.affiliation:  Professor of Anaesthesiology, Department of Anaesthesiology, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Picker
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004078:Dihydralazine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008833:Microcirculation / Q000187:drug effects; D045283:Natriuretic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000187:drug effects*; D011897:Random Allocation; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D045283:Natriuretic Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D005996:Nitroglycerin; D004078:Dihydralazine