Experimental study of afterload-reducing therapy: the effects of the reduction of systemic vascular resistance on cardiac output, aortic pressure and coronary circulation in isolated, ejecting canine hearts.

The relationship between cardiac output (CO) and peripheral resistance (Rp) was examined under the following conditions for coronary perfusion: constant coronary flow perfusion; perfusion with a pressure equal to mean aortic pressure (AoP perfusion); and perfusion with a pressure equal to the mean AoP - 30 mm Hg (AoP - 30 mm Hg perfusion). We also examined the coronary pressure-flow relationship. For these studies, we used paced, isolated, ejecting canine hearts, which were loaded by a hydraulic system that simulated the input impedance of a dog's systemic arterial tree. The CO in the constant coronary flow perfusion continued to increase with the reduction of Rp. The CO in the AoP perfusion became maximal at a slightly subphysiologic Rp, or at an average mean AoP of 65 mm Hg. This mean AoP was closely associated with the lower limit of the autoregulation of coronary blood flow. In the AoP - 30 mm Hg perfusion, the mean AoP at which CO became maximal was 72 mm Hg and the corresponding coronary perfusion pressure appeared to be lower than the lower limit of the perfusion pressure range for coronary flow autoregulation. The Rp value at that point was slightly higher than the physiologic range. We conclude that when coronary perfusion pressure changes with mean AoP, and when left ventricular end-diastolic pressure is fixed, there is a clear optimal Rp at which CO becomes maximal, and this optimal Rp is higher if coronary perfusion pressure is biased from mean AoP to a significant degree.