Early administration of amrinone does not impair regional metabolism of O2 or lactate and, by improving myocardial performance, preserves myocardial blood flow in the ischemic canine heart.

The inotropic and vasodilating effects of amrinone can upset the balance of O2 supply and demand by changing those components in opposite directions simultaneously. We used a canine model of acute coronary artery occlusion to test our hypothesis that early administration of amrinone (before failure of the heart) would have beneficial effects on hemodynamic status and regional metabolism during ischemia, even before heart failure. Twenty dogs anesthetized with thiamylal were subjected to 50%, 75%, and 100% occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Half of the dogs were given a bolus injection of amrinone (0.75 mg/kg) 1-2 min before each occlusion, immediately followed by continuous infusion (10 micrograms.kg-1 x min-1) during occlusion; the other half did not receive amrinone (control). Hemodynamic and metabolic variables were measured in the ischemic area (the left anterior descending coronary artery) and in a nonischemic area (the circumflex vein). Amrinone not only decreased heart rate, left ventricular systolic and end-diastolic pressures, and mean pulmonary arterial pressure during constrictions but also maintained contractility, stroke volume index, and stroke volume index/left ventricular end-diastolic pressure before and during constrictions. Regional myocardial blood flow in ischemic areas decreased with amrinone during constrictions but was still higher than in untreated animals. Regional ischemic and nonischemic metabolic variables (metabolism of intracoronary potassium, CO2, O2, glucose, and lactate) were similar for both groups and changed to the same extent. Amrinone appears to improve left ventricular performance and increase blood flow to ischemic myocardium while not worsening regional metabolic effects during various grades of ischemia in the dog.