CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF NIFEDIPINE IN THE DOG

This study was designed to measure certain cardiovascular effects of 2 or 11 mug nifedipine/kg body weight given intravenously to dogs anest hetized with fentanyl-droperidol-pentobarbital. Parameters measured we re: cardiac output, stroke volume, stroke work, systemic arterial pres sure and vascular resistance, splenic weight (a measure of venous capa citance), and fractionation of cardiac output to many tissues. In resp onse to doses of nifedipine, systemic vascular resistance decreased, c ardiac output and flows to most organs increased, and heart rate, stro ke work, and splenic capacitance were unchanged. The flow to the diaph ragm increased more than that to other organs.