Abstract
Abstract 1 The central and peripheral cardiovascular effects of hydralazine and glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) have been contrasted using radionuclide techniques. 2 Following intravenous injection of technetium-99m labelled human serum albumin, radionuclide ventriculography was performed by the equilibrium blood pool method using a mobile gamma camera. Simultaneous measurements of `peripheral venous volume' were made using a collimated scintillation probe positioned above the patient's calf. 3 Ten patients with angina pectoris were studied at rest, after sublingual administration of 0.5 mg GTN and after intravenous administration of 10 mg hydralazine. 4 GTN caused a mean reduction in the end diastolic volume of the left ventricle of 14.6% ± 4.5% (P < 0.005) but ejection fraction increased by 0.034 ± 0.007 (P < 0.005) so that stroke volume was only reduced by 4.9% ± 5.0% (NS). There was a mean increase in heart rate of 10.8 ± 2.3 beats/min (P < 0.001) but no significant change in cardiac output. The calculated systemic vascular resistance fell by 10.0% ± 5.4% (P < 0.05). Associated with these changes there was a mean increase of 9.6% ± 1.5% (P < 0.05) in the counts from the calf. 5 Hydralazine caused a significant reduction in blood pressure and increase in heart rate. End-diastolic volume was reduced by 6.0% ± 2.7% but there was a mean increase in ejection fraction of 0.058 ± 0.010 (P < 0.001) so that in this instance stroke volume increased by 9.0% ± 3.7% (P < 0.05) and cardiac output increased by 16.4% ± 4.4% (P < 0.005). The calculated systemic vascular resistance fell by 18.9% ± 3.8% (P < 0.001). Despite these haemodynamic changes there was no significant change in counts from the calf. 6 The results confirm that GTN has a predominant venodilator effect while hydralazine acts largely on the arterial bed. These relatively simple radionuclide methods will allow a more detailed assessment of the cardiovascular effects of drugs.
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