The Acute Effect of Aminophylline on Left Ventricular Function in Patients with Heart Failure

Abstract

In 10 patients with acquired valvular or hypertensive heart diseases, the acute effects of aminophylline (theophylline ethylene-diamine) were studied by the combined left and right cardiac catheterization, calculating the left ventricular volume and circumferential shortening rate using external monitoring of radioisotope dilution. Aminophylline produced a significant increase in cardiac output, left ventricular forward fraction and circumferential shortening rate, and a significant decrease in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, end-diastalic and end-systolic volume, left ventricular mean force and total peripheral vascular resistance. These results indicate that aminophylline improves the function of failing heart by the stimulation of myocardium and resultant increase in myocardial contractility together with its vasodilating action on peripheral vessels.