THE EFFECT OF DICHLOROISOPROTERENOL, PRONETHALOL AND PROPRANOLOL ON OXYGEN CONSUMPTION IN THE RAT

¹ Departments of Pharmacology and Surgery, The Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Certain beta-adrenergic blocking agents have been observed to increase the oxygen consumption of anesthetized dogs and to increase plasma free fatty acid levels. In this study, the effects of three beta-blocking drugs, dichloroisoproterenol (DCI), pronethalol and propranolol, on total-body oxygen consumption in the rat were examined. Both DCI and pronethalol were found to increase oxygen consumption in a doserelated manner. Propranolol did not increase oxygen consumption but instead lowered it in high doses. Propranolol was found to produce a partial antagonism of the oxygen consumption effects of DCI and pronethalol. Propranolol also afforded protection against lethal doses of DCI and pronethalol. It appears that DCI and pronethalol exert a beta-stimulatory action resulting in increased oxygen consumption. However, propranolol is antagonistic in regard to this response.