Amrinone and the Pulmonary Vascular Pressure–Flow Relationship in Conscious Control Dogs and Following Left Lung Autotransplantation

Background: Amrinone, a bipyridine compound, is known to improve left ventricular function via its positive inotropic and afterload-reducing effects. The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of amrinone as a pulmonary vasodilator, an effect that could be beneficial in the setting of right heart failure associated with pulmonary hypertension. Methods: investigated were the effects of intravenous amrinone (750 μg/kg loading dose plus 1-20 μg.kg -1 .min -1 maintenance dose) on the left pulmonary vascular pressure-flow (LPQ) relationship in chronically instrumented, conscious dogs