Reflex responses to sodium nitroprusside and their control by cryptenamine.

In chloralose-anesthetized dogs the hypotensive and reflex cardiovascular responses to infusions of sodium nitroprusside were studied before and during halothane and enflurane, and before after divided doses of cryptenamine. The latter drug, a mixture of hypotensive veratrum alkaloids, lowers blood pressure reflexly by acting on afferent receptors (baroreceptors). Control infusions of nitroprusside, which caused 10% to 15% decreases im mean arterial blood pressure, markedly increased heart rate, myocardial contractility, cardiac output, rate-pressure product, and left ventricular minute work in spite of decreases in peripheral vascular resistance. Except for increases in contractility, these reflexly mediated effects were not blocked by the addition of 1% halothane or 2% enflurane. Cryptenamine, on the other hand, potentiated nitroprusside-induced hypotension, markedly diminished increases in heart rate, and eliminated increases in myocardial contractility, rate-pressure product, and left ventricular work. Measurements of cardiovascular function returned promptly to preinfusion values when the nitroprusside was stopped. We conclude that under conditions when a high degree of central vasomotor tone is present, homeostatic reflexes may counteract the direct vasodilator effect of nitroprusside, resulting in the need for a greater dose of nitroprusside and obviating the expected beneficial effects on myocardial oxygen supply/demand ratio. Combining cryptenamine with nitroprusside eliminates these problems and at the same time allows retention of the evanescent action of nitroprusside.