Atropine reduces dobutamine-induced side effects in ponies undergoing a pharmacological stress protocol.
Abstract: High-dose dobutamine stress echocardiography has been shown to be cardiotoxic and arrhythmogenic in horses. However, the test may have benefit in practice as a pharmacological challenge of exercise without the treadmill being required. Objective: To investigate the effect of low-dose dobutamine on cardiac performance in ponies previously treated with atropine, in order to develop a pharmacological protocol that allows examination of the equine heart under stimulation. Methods: In 13 healthy Shetland ponies, heart rate (HR), stroke index (SI) and cardiac index (CI) were calculated from pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasound measurements performed at rest and during incremental steps of dobutamine infusion. Group 1 (n = 7) received dobutamine infusion at 2 microg/kg bwt/min for 5 mins followed by incremental rates of 5 microg/kg bwt/min every 5 mins, from 5 to 40 microg/kg bwt/min. Group 2 (n = 6) received dobutamine infusion in incremental rates of 1 microg/kg bwt/min, every 5 mins, from 2 microg/kg bwt/min to 5 microg/kg bwt/min, after premedication with 2 injections of 25 microg/kg bwt of atropine 5 mins apart. Results: The increase in CI during the pharmacological challenge was higher in Group 2 and reached about 2.5 times the resting value. This increase in CI was mediated by a significant increase in HR in both groups, while SI significantly decreased in Group 1 and did not change significantly in Group 2. Ponies of Group 1, but not those of Group 2, showed excessive restlessness and cardiac arrhythmias during the pharmacological challenge and a high intragroup variability in cardiac response. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that a low dose of dobutamine in ponies previously given atropine could be a helpful pharmacological protocol to perform stress echocardiography in equids. Conclusions: Further studies should evaluate left ventricular wall motion in horses undergoing low-dose dobutamine protocol after pretreatment with atropine.
Publication Date: 2005-03-23 PubMed ID: 15779624DOI: 10.2746/0425164054223868Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research evaluates the use of atropine to mitigate the side effects of the drug dobutamine in ponies, in the context of stress echocardiography—a test to study the heart function during physical stress conditions. The results suggest that a low dose of dobutamine, when used after administering atropine, is a potential pharmacological protocol for performing these stress tests in equids, whereas high doses of dobutamine could be harmful.
Objective and Methodology
- The main objective of this study was to study the impact of administering a low dose of dobutamine on the cardiac performance of ponies that were previously given atropine. The end goal was to devise a pharmacological protocol that permits examining the equine heart under stimulated conditions.
- Thirteen healthy Shetland ponies were considered for this research. Their heart rate, stroke index, and cardiac index were collected using pulsed-wave Doppler ultrasound measurements both at rest and during dobutamine infusion at increasing rates.
- The ponies were divided into two groups. Group 1 (seven ponies) received dobutamine infusion beginning at 2 microg/kg bwt/min for 5 minutes, which was then increased every 5 minutes from 5 to 40 microg/kg bwt/min.
- Group 2 (six ponies) also received dobutamine infusion, but at incremental rates of 1 microg/kg bwt/min every 5 minutes, started from 2 microg/kg bwt/min to 5 microg/kg bwt/min, after they were premedicated with 2 injections of 25 microg/kg bwt of atropine administered 5 minutes apart.
Results
- It was observed that the increase in the cardiac index was more significant in Group 2 during the pharmacological challenge, reaching about 2.5 times of the resting value. This increase in the cardiac index was attributable to an increase in the heart rate in both groups, though the stroke index decreased significantly in Group 1, with no significant change in Group 2.
- Ponies in Group 1 showed extreme restlessness and instances of cardiac arrhythmias during the pharmacological challenge. They also had a high intragroup variability in the cardiac response. The ponies in Group 2 did not exhibit such behaviors or symptoms.
Conclusions
- The study suggests that administering a low dose of dobutamine in ponies that have been pre-treated with atropine could be a beneficial pharmacological protocol to perform stress echocardiography in equids.
- The researchers also concluded that further studies are required to evaluate the left ventricular wall motion in horses undergoing the low-dose dobutamine protocol after pretreatment with atropine.
Cite This Article
APA
Sandersen CF, Detilleux J, Delguste C, Pierard L, van Loon G, Amory H.
(2005).
Atropine reduces dobutamine-induced side effects in ponies undergoing a pharmacological stress protocol.
Equine Vet J, 37(2), 128-132.
https://doi.org/10.2746/0425164054223868 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Departments of Clinical Sciences, Large Animal Internal Medicine, University Hospital Liège, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / pharmacology
- Atropine / pharmacology
- Cardiotonic Agents / adverse effects
- Coronary Disease / diagnosis
- Coronary Disease / veterinary
- Diagnosis, Differential
- Dobutamine / adverse effects
- Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
- Echocardiography / methods
- Echocardiography / veterinary
- Exercise Test / methods
- Exercise Test / veterinary
- Heart Rate / drug effects
- Heart Rate / physiology
- Horse Diseases / diagnosis
- Horses
- Male
- Random Allocation
- Stroke Volume / drug effects
- Stroke Volume / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Vitale V, Vezzosi T, Di Franco C, Briganti A, Tognetti R, Conte G, Bucchioni E, Sgorbini M. Equine echocardiography: Can dobutamine infusion correct alterations due to sedation with alpha-2 agonists?. PLoS One 2022;17(10):e0276256.
- Potier JF, Louzier V. Evaluation of stress markers in horses during hippotherapy sessions in comparison to being ridden by beginners. Anim Welf 2023;32:e10.
- Dufourni A, Buschmann E, Vernemmen I, Van Steenkiste G, van Loon G, Decloedt A. Effect of physiological and pharmacological stress on heart rate, blood pressure, and echocardiographic measurements in healthy Warmblood horses. J Vet Intern Med 2024 Jan-Feb;38(1):398-410.
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