Studies on experimental coronary insufficiency. I. Effects of a physiological dose of adrenaline and noradrenaline on myocardial metabolism in dogs with graded coronary constriction.

To investigate the mechanism by which catecholamines produce myocardial ischemia, the effect of intracoronary-administered adrenaline and noradrenaline was studied in dogs with graded coronary constriction. A physiological dose of catecholamines was favorable for augmentation or improvement of myocardial metabolism and cardiac function in dogs without or with slight coronary constriction. However, in dogs with moderate or severe coronary constriction, similar doses of catecholamines produced myocardial ischemia and cardiac dysfunction.