Suppression of hepatic portal blood flow caused by carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum can be restored after dopamine administration in pigs.

Portal venous blood flow (PVF), hepatic arterial blood flow (HAF) and systemic arterial pressure (SAP) were examined after dopamine (DA) injection into the jugular vein under carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum in pigs. When intraabdominal pressure (IAP) was increased by 12 mmHg, PVF and HAF were reduced, but SAP was unchanged. When IAP was kept at 12 mmHg, the injection of DA at 10 micrograms/kg/min for 2 min produced an increase in PVF without causing any change in HAF or SAP. The response in PVF was dose-dependent. When IAP was increased to 16 mmHg, PVF response was diminished, and no change in HAF or SAP was seen at the same dose of DA. These observations suggest that DA is effective in increasing PVF under enhanced IAP conditions, but such circulatory improvement due to the agent would be prominent when IAP is below 12 mmHg.