Effects of chronic dobutamine administration on the response to acute exercise in dogs

Summary. The effects of chronic dobutamine administration on haemodynamic and metabolic responses to submaximal and maximal exercise were studied in dogs. Dobutamine was infused at a rate of 40 μg/kg min^-1, 2 h day^-1, 5 days week^-1 for a period of 6 weeks. Acute infusion of dobutamine for 1 h increased heart rate by 73 ± 30 beats min^-1 and cardiac output by 143 ± 141 ml/min kg^-1, reduced mean arterial blood pressure by 12 ± 10 mmHg and arterial-venous O₂ difference by 1.5 ± 1 vol%. Maximal oxygen consumption, heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output and arterial-venous O₂ difference were unchanged after 6 weeks of treatment. Reductions in heart rate at rest and during submaximal exercise following chronic dobutamine treatment were small and significant only at the lowest exercise level studied. Mixed venous lactate concentrations measured at rest, during submaximal and maximal exercise and at 2 min of recovery were not different after dobutamine treatment. Chronic dobutamine infusion did not change the citrate synthase activity in the lateral gastrocnemius muscle. These results suggest that chronic dobutamine therapy in healthy dogs does not produce aerobic training responses.