Distribution of myocardial glucose consumption under normal conditions and during isoprenaline and dobutamine infusion.

The regional myocardial metabolic rate of glucose (reg. MMR Gl) of the left ventricular free wall was determined applying the 2-deoxyglucose method (Sokoloff, 1977) in the anesthetized closed chest dog. Under control conditions an inhomogeneous distribution of MMR Gl was observed. Isoprenaline or dobutamine infusions resulted in a redistribution of MMR Gl. With isoprenaline a homogeneous distribution pattern was observed, while with dobutamine a slight decrease in MMR Gl of the subendocardial region was measured. This redistribution may result from altered ventricular working conditions, due to changes in ventricular volumes or from differences in the frequency of myocardial adrenoceptors within the ventricular wall.