Abdelmawla A H, Langley R W, Szabadi E, Bradshaw C M
Department of Psychiatry, University of Nottingham, Queen's Medical Centre, England, U.K.
J Pharmacol Toxicol Methods. 1996 Oct;36(2):77-80. doi: 10.1016/s1056-8719(96)00077-9.
Cumulative and noncumulative dose-response curves to noradrenaline were compared in the human dorsal hand vein (DHV), using the DHV compliance technique. This technique involves recording changes in the diameter of a superficial hand vein at a constant congestion pressure. Twelve healthy male volunteers (20-45 years) participated in one experimental session. Five incremental doses of noradrenaline acid tartrate (0.33-33.33 ng min-1) were infused twice in each subject: first with 5-min washout (5% dextrose saline) periods in between ("noncumulative dose-response curve"), then without interspersed washout periods ("cumulative dose-response curve"). Two-factor analysis of variance (dose of noradrenaline x method of infusion) showed a significant effect of dose (F = 101.53, df = 4.44, p < 0.0001); however, there was no significant effect of method of infusion (F = 0.21, df = 1,11, p > 0.1), indicating that cumulative and noncumulative applications of noradrenaline resulted in similar dose-response curves. Neither method of noradrenaline application had any effect on systemic blood pressure and heart rate. Construction of cumulative dose-response curves allows the study of the interactions of noradrenaline with a systemically taken antagonist during a narrow time window and the construction of more than one dose-response curve within the same experimental session.
