The selective effects of dopamine and dobutamine on liver circulation in the dog.

The selective effects od dopamine and dobutamine in various doses on liver circulation were studied in 12 mongrel dogs. Dopamine increased portal flow but decreased hepatic arterial flow markedly as infusion rate of dopamine increased. Dopamine 3 micrograms/kg/min infusion rate produced vasodilation in mesenteric vascular bed and the portal flow ratio to cardiac output was significantly increased. Dobutamine increased both portal and hepatic arterial flows at the 5 and 10 micrograms/kg/min dobutamine infusion rates, and decreased hepatic arterial flow at the 15 micrograms/kg/min dobutamine infusion rate. Both dopamine and dobutamine increased total liver flows, however, total liver flow ratio to cardiac output was not increased. Pressure gradient of portal system was not changed during dopamine and dobutamine infusion, since both portal venous pressure and hepatic venous pressure were avariant from control values. These findings suggest that congestive hyperemia was not occurred in intrahepatic portal vascular system when portal flows were increased during dopamine and dobutamine infusion. The results of this study demonstrate that both dopamine and dobutamine did not produce selective increases in total liver blood flow. In addition, both agents should be safe to use to the normal liver patient; total liver blood flow did not decrease and intrahepatic congestive hyperemia was not occurred when portal flow was increased.