EFFECTS OF A NEW "CORONARY VASODILATOR" ON THE GENERAL AND CORONARY HEMODYNAMICS AND MYOCARDIAL METABOLISM OF MAN

Abstract

Vasoflex (N-cinnamyl-methylamino-2-phenyl-propane hydrochloride) is a synthetic substance related to the catechol amine series, which, when injected intravenously in dogs produces a 50 to 75% increase in directly measured coronary blood flow with no significant changes in heart rate and blood pressure. Similar effects were noted in man, employing Fick cardiac outputs and N2O coronary flow measurements. Although there is an average and significant increase (45%) in coronary blood flow in man, there is a similar increase in myocardial O2 uptake with no change in myocardial O2 extraction co-efficient. Thus the increase in flow represents a chemically induced "demand" response and not a true increase in myocardial O2 availability.