Effects of exercise and isoproterenol on hemodynamics and myocardial VO2 in lambs with aortopulmonary shunts.

To compare hemodynamic changes induced by isoproterenol and exercise stress tests in individuals with and without left ventricular volume load, we studied 10 lambs with an aortopulmonary shunt [58 +/- 4% (SE) of left ventricular output] 2 wk after the shunt was created. Two studies, isoproterenol infusion at 0.1 microgram.kg-1.min-1 and treadmill exercise at 76 +/- 4% of predetermined maximal O2 consumption (VO2) were performed in each lamb in random order on different days. Identical experiments were performed in nine lambs without shunts. Isoproterenol and exercise induced similar changes in heart rate (43 +/- 5%); systemic (72 +/- 7%), pulmonary (35 +/- 3%), and shunt blood flows (8 +/- 6%); and stroke volume (NS) in shunt lambs. Aortic systolic pressure increased less during isoproterenol infusion than during exercise (7 +/- 3 vs. 27 +/- 5%), and left atrial pressure decreased during isoproterenol infusion (-23 +/- 4%) but changed in an opposite direction during exercise (7 +/- 6%). These changes were accompanied by a smaller increase in myocardial VO2 during isoproterenol infusion than during exercise (5.0 +/- 0.7 to 5.3 +/- 0.6 and 5.3 +/- 0.8 to 7.3 +/- 0.9 mumol.beat-1 x 100 g-1, respectively). In control lambs, stroke volume decreased during isoproterenol infusion despite an equal decrease in left atrial pressure as in shunt lambs. In conclusion, isoproterenol better stimulates the blood flow changes during exercise in shunt than in control lambs probably because of their higher ventricular filling pressures. In interpreting isoproterenol stress tests it should, however, be kept in mind that these changes are realized at a lower work load for the heart.