Effects of prenalterol on cardiac performance and transmural myocardial perfusion in patients with chronic renal failure.

The acute haemodynamic effects of the beta-adrenoreceptor agonist, prenalterol, were studied in six patients with chronic end-stage renal failure. Prenalterol 0.8 mg, 1.6 mg, and 3.2 mg was administered i.v. as a bolus, and after the last dose the selective adrenergic beta-1-receptor antagonist metoprolol was administered i.v. in doses of 5 and 10 mg. The haemodynamic effects of the drugs were investigated using impedance cardiography and radionuclide angiocardiography. The main haemodynamic effects were a dose-related chronotropic effect, demonstrated by an increase in heart rate (26%; less than 0.05), and an inotropic effect, shown by an increase in stroke volume index (20%; p less than 0.05) and left ventricular ejection time (12%; p less than 0.05); the cardiac index was increased by 47% (p less than 0.05). Transmural myocardial perfusion (DPTI/SPTI ratio) was decreased by 22% (p less than 0.05) after prenalterol. It is concluded that prenalterol has positive inotropic and chronotropic effects in patients with chronic renal failure, that the improvement in left ventricular performance is at the expense of a decreased transmural myocardial perfusion, and that metoprolol is a specific antidote.