FAMOTIDINE HAS NO EFFECT ON CARDIAC-PERFORMANCE AND LIVER BLOOD-FLOW IN THE RAT

Conflicting results have been reported on the effect of famotidine on cardiac performance and visceral hemodynamics, studied by non-invasive techniques. It is for that reason that we used the radioactive micros phere technique to study the effect of famotidine on cardiac performan ce in the rat. Hepatic blood flow (HBF) and portal blood flow (PBF) we re measured during the same experiment. Rats were either given famotid ine (2.0 mg/kg per day) or drinking water for 7 days through an orogas tric tube. Administration of famotidine had no effect on cardiac outpu t (CO), HBE PBF, or liver blood flow (LBF), which is the sum of HBF an d PBF In bath groups, LBF consisted of a similar fraction of CO, 14.5 +/- 3.9% and 15.7 +/- 4.38%, in the control and the famotidine groups, respectively. Pulse rate, systolic pressure and left ventricular cont ractility were not affected by famotidine. It is concluded that in the rat, administration of famotidine for 7 days has no effect on systemi c, hepatic or portal hemodynamics.