The effects of intravenously infused catecholamines on hepatic blood flow in conscious dogs with experimental obstructive jaundice

This study was conducted to examine how the effects of dopamine and dobutamine on hepatic blood flow were influenced by obstructive jaundice in a conscious canine model. Prior to biliary obstruction, portal venous blood flow (PVF) increased in response to the infusion of either dopamine or dobutamine: dopamine infused at 8 micrograms/kg per min produced an increase of 19 +/- 0% in PVF, while dobutamine infused at 16 micrograms/kg per min produced an increase of 30 +/- 2%. Although hepatic arterial blood flow (HAF) decreased dose-dependently in response to the infusion of dopamine, no significant change was observed in HAF in response to any dose of dobutamine. Obstructive jaundice attenuated or completely abolished the PVF-increasing effect of dopamine, whereas it did not significantly alter the effect of dobutamine on hepatic blood flow. In dogs with obstructive jaundice, dopamine at 16 micrograms/kg per min produced a decrease of 17 +/- 3% in PVF. These findings suggest that dobutamine is more effective than dopamine for increasing hepatic blood flow in patients with obstructive jaundice.