EVIDENCE FOR IMPAIRED ENDOTHELIUM DEPENDENT VASODILATION IN EXPERIMENTAL LEFT VENTRICULAR DYSFUNCTION

Abstract

1. The full range of vascular reactivity was investigated in the hindlimb circulation of conscious, autonomically blocked rabbits with experimental (adriamycin‐induced) cardiomyopathy. 2. Adriamycin treatment caused a significant reduction in left ventricular systolic function, as assessed by echocardiography (left ventricular fractional shortening, controls vs adriamycin treatment; 36.7 ± 1.7%vs 27.3 ± 2.6%, P<0.05). 3. Under pharmacological autonomic effector block, the range of the vasodilator response (resistance range, from resting to full vasodilatation) to acetylcholine was reduced by 41% (P<0.05) and by 37% for adenosine (P<0.05). Despite these changes the sensitivity (ED50) of the r..