Alteration of canine left ventricular diastolic function by intravenous anesthetics in vivo. Ketamine and propofol

Diastolic function has been shown to influence overall cardiac performance significantly, but the effect of intravenous anesthetics on diastolic function has not been previously characterized in vivo. The effects of ketamine and propofol on two indices of left ventricular diastolic function were examined in chronically instrumented dogs. Because autonomic nervous system function may significantly influence the systemic hemodynamic actions produced by intravenous anesthetics in vivo, experiments were performed in the presence of pharmacologic blockade of the autonomic nervous system. Two groups comprising a total of 14 experiments were performed using 7 dogs instrumented for measurement of aortic and left ventricular pressure, the maximum rate of increase of left ventricular pressure (dP/dt), subendocardial segment length, and cardiac output. Systemic hemodynamics and diastolic function were recorded and evaluated in the conscious state and after a 20-min equilibration at 25-, 50-, and 100-mg.kg-1.h-1 infusion doses of ketamine or propofol. Ventricular relaxation was described using the time constant of isovolumetric relaxation (tau) assuming a nonzero asymptote of ventricular pressure decay. Regional chamber stiffness, an index of passive ventricular filling, was described using an exponential equation relating segment length to ventricular pressure between minimum ventricular pressure and the onset of atrial systole.