Central hemodynamic effects of cocaine and ritodrine in the isolated, perfused rat heart.

Kurtzman, J T; Thorp, J M; Spielman, F J; Mueller, R A; Cefalo, R C · Obstet Gynecol · 1994

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

To explore the cardiac interactions of cocaine and ritodrine in pregnancy. Using the isolated, perfused rat-heart model, hearts from pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to increasing concentrations of ritodrine: 25, 50, 100, and 250 ng/mL. Hearts of half of the animals, the experimental group, were exposed to cocaine (5 x 10(-6) mol/L). Left ventricular systolic pressure, heart rate, and contractility were measured. Ritodrine had marked positive inotropic and chronotropic effects. Cocaine exposure resulted in smaller increases in all indices. Cocaine blunted but did not obliterate the cardiac stimulatory effects of ritodrine in this model.

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