Differential cardiovascular and neuroendocrine effects of epinine and dopamine in conscious pigs before and after adrenoceptor blockade.

1. The effects of epinine or dopamine (both 1-10 micrograms kg-1 min-1) on systemic haemodynamics and plasma concentrations of catecholamines and prolactin were studied in conscious pigs before and after combined non-selective alpha- and beta-adrenoceptor blockade. 2. The plasma concentrations of the two compounds did not differ from each other over the entire dose-range. 3. Epinine increased aortic blood flow (AoBF, 24 +/- 6%), which was due to an increase in heart rate (HR) for doses less than 10 micrograms kg-1 min-1. At 10 micrograms kg-1 min-1, HR decreased slightly (10 +/- 3%, as compared to the value obtained at 5 micrograms kg-1 min-1) and stroke volume increased up to 15% (P < 0.05). Mean arterial pressure (MAP, 99 +/- 3 mmHg at baseline) decreased dose-dependently (14 +/- 2%, P < 0.05) up to the infusion rate of 5 micrograms kg-1 min-1, but increased by 4.0 +/- 1.8 mmHg during infusion of 10 micrograms kg-1 min-1. Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) decreased up to 23 +/- 3% for doses less than 10 micrograms kg-1 min-1, but did not change further during infusion of the highest dose. LVdP/dtmax increased during the two highest infusion rates up to 22 +/- 6% (P < 0.05). After the infusion was stopped there was an abrupt increase in HR (18 +/- 4%, P < 0.05) and a further decrease in SVR before all parameters returned to baseline. 4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)