Regional myocardial contractile response to the beta-adrenergic stimulant prenalterol in the conscious dog following myocardial infarction. Mechanism of hemodynamic effect.

In order to assess regional myocardial contractile responses to the beta-adrenergic stimulant prenalterol after recent myocardial infarction, 9 male mongrel dogs underwent left circumflex coronary artery (LCX) occlusion after implantation of miniature subendocardial sonomicrometer crystals in normal, marginally ischemic (border) and central ischemic zones. 90-min LCX occlusion with reperfusion resulted in substantial infarction (mean +/- SEM 24 +/- 3% of total left ventricular area) and characteristic regional functional alterations. In conscious, unsedated animals 72 h after infarction, intravenous prenalterol (30 micrograms/kg) significantly decreased end-diastolic and end-systolic segment length and increased percent systolic shortening in normal and border zones, but did not alter ischemic zone function. Heart rate increased significantly with prenalterol. Regional myocardial function before drug administration correlated closely with response to the inotropic agent. These results indicate that the mechanism by which prenalterol improves cardiac function 72 h after myocardial infarction is stimulation of normal and marginally ischemic myocardium.