Abstract

The effects of beta-2 adrenoceptor stimulation on the peripheral circulation in 10 dogs were evaluated. All studies were done during ganglion blockade with hexamethonium. Venous capacitance was assessed by measuring mean circulatory filling pressure, venous compliance and unstressed vascular volume. Beta-2 stimulation was achieved with terbutaline (27 micrograms/min) after beta-1 blockade with metoprolol (0.75 mg/kg). At a dose of terbutaline that decreased mean aortic pressure from 80.4 +/- 3.5 to 58.9 +/- 1.9 mm Hg (P less than .01), there was no change in cardiac index (155.8 +/- 10.5 vs. 161.1 +/- 9.1 ml/kg/min) despite an increase in heart rate from 118.6 +/- 5.2 to 132.6 +/- 5.0 beats/min. Right atrial pressure, left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and dP/dt did not change. Systemic vascular resistance decreased from 0.52 +/- 0.02 to 0.39 +/- 0.03 mm Hg . min . kg . ml (P less than .01). Arterial compliance increased from 0.067 +/- 0.003 to 0.088 +/- 0.007 ml/mm Hg/kg and the volume of blood shifted out of the larger arteries was 1.8 +/- 0.4 ml/kg. Mean circulatory filling pressure did not change but venous compliance decreased from 1.90 +/- 0.04 to 1.47 +/- 0.06 ml/mm Hg/kg and unstressed vascular volume increased from -14.5 +/- 0.5 to -8.4 +/- 0.5 ml/kg. Central blood volume increased from 22.8 +/- 1.1 to 27.4 +/- 2.2 ml/kg. There was an increase in total blood volume from 81.1 +/- 2.7 to 90.5 +/- 3.7 ml/kg. To determine the extent to which changes in the spleen were responsible for these observations, five dogs were studied 2 weeks after splenectomy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)