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Dopamine in the conscious dog with chronic heart-block

Mechanisms of chronotropic cardiac effects

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Summary

The chronotropic effects of dopamine were studied in the conscious dog with chronic A-V block. Dopamine at 12.5–200 μg/kg and 12.5–50 μg/kg/min lowered atrial rate independently of dose. After blockade of muscarine receptors or alpha-adrenoceptors, it raised atrial rate. After blockade of dopamine receptors, dopamine still lowered atrial rate, and did so dose-relatedly after blockade of beta-adrenoceptors. It raised ventricular rate, and at high doses also induced ventricular rhythm disorders. Blockade of muscarine receptors enhanced the ventricular cardioaccelerator effect of dopamine (P<0.025) at 100 μg/kg, while blockade of alpha-adrenoceptors reduced it (P<0.05). Blockade of dopamine receptors did not modify this effect, but blockade of beta-adrenoceptors reversed it. Dopamine at 25–200 μg/kg raised mean blood pressure. This effect was enhanced by blockade of muscarine receptors, reversed by blockade of alpha-adrenoceptors, and was unaffected by blockade of beta-adrenoceptors or dopamine receptors. These results show that the atrial cardiomoderator effect of dopamine is a vagal reflex response to its hypertensive action, and that it is limited by its direct beta-adrenergic stimulating action. They also show that the ventricular cardioaccelerator effect of dopamine is attenuated by a reflex vagal depressor effect consequent to the induced hypertension. No evidence was found for the existence of positive chronotropic dopamine receptors in either atria or ventricles.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, U. 195 INSERM, Faculty of Medicine, F-63001, Clermont-Ferrand Cédex, France

    Michel Boucher, Claude Dubray & Pierre Duchêne-Marullaz

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  1. Michel Boucher
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  2. Claude Dubray
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  3. Pierre Duchêne-Marullaz
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Boucher, M., Dubray, C. & Duchêne-Marullaz, P. Dopamine in the conscious dog with chronic heart-block. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch. Pharmacol. 326, 148–154 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00517312

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00517312

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