Cardiovascular Responses to Infused Epinephrine

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Abstract
Arterial pressure and heart rate responses to i.v. infusions of epinephrine at rates of 4-64 ng/kg per min were determined in 15 healthy subjects. The state of physical conditioning in these subjects was assessed by resting (preinfusion) heart rate and bicycle ergometry. Predicted maximal O2 consumption (pMVO2) was determined by performance at submaximal work loads. Significant correlations were observed between both preinfusion heart rate and pMVO2, and the threshold for the effect of epinephrine on systolic pressure, and the magnitude of the increase in systolic pressure. Neither preinfusion heart rate nor pMVO2 correlated significantly with the chronotropic effect of epinephrine (threshold or absolute increase in heart rate). The pMVO2 and preinfusion heart rate did not correlate significantly with preinfusion venous plasma epinephrine concentration or with plasma levels achieved during infusion. Physical conditioning evidently increases the effect of circulating epinephrine on systolic arterial pressure without altering the chronotropic effect of this hormone.