The metabolic actions of intravenous salbutamol and aminophylline singly and in combination.

1 The following four treatments were administered by constant intravenous infusion of four healthy volunteers in a balanced randomized study: 1) saline (30 min), salbutamol (0.15 micrograms kg-1 min-1 for 30 min) (sS), 2) saline, aminophylline (0.2 mg kg-1 min-1 for 30 min) (sA), 3) salbutamol, salbutamol (SS) and 4) aminophylline, salbutamol (AS). 2 Heart rate was recorded and venous blood taken for estimation of insulin, glucose, potassium and theophylline before and during the infusions (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 min). 3 The mean, peak heart rate increases from control, baseline values were 23.0 (sS), 3.5 (sA), 28.5 (SS) and 28.0 (AS) beats/min, the mean, peak insulin increases, 34.0 (sS), 0.5 (sA), 39.0 (SS) and 57.5 (AS) microU ml-1, the mean, peak glucose increases, 1.4 (sS), 0.1 (sA), 2.6 (SS) and 2.0 (AS) mmol 1(-1) and the mean, peak potassium changes, -0.45 (sS), 0.58 (sA), -0.78 (SS) and -0.68 (AS) mmol 1(-1). 4 The mean, peak serum theophylline levels were 48.1 mumol 1(-1) at 60 min in sA and 52.6 mumol 1(-1) at 50 min in AS (39.1 mumol 1(-1) at 30 min). 5 Salbutamol stimulated significant insulin release and produced hypokalaemia and glycogenolysis, whereas aminophylline induced no metabolic effect. 6 A comparison of sS and AS indicated a trend for aminophylline to potentiate the metabolic effects of salbutamol.