SUMMARY We studied cardiac and peripheral circulatory effects of graded doses of catecholamines (0.05-1.0 fig/kg) in piglets aged £ 1 day, 2-4 days, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 2.5-3 months, under anesthesia with pentobarbital. We evaluated cardiovascular function from simultaneous recordings of aortic pressure, ventricular pressure and its first derivative, heart rate, and phasic carotid and femoral blood flows. We calculated vascular resistance as the ratio of mean aortic pressure to mean flow. The age of onset of a given cardiovascular response was determined, and magnitudes of each type of response were compared among the age groups. Norepinephrine elevated the blood pressure at all doses in piglets of all ages, elicited reflex bradycardia only in older piglets, and increased carotid resistance. Epinephrine elevated the blood pressure at all doses in piglets less than 1 week old, but low doses lowered the blood pressure in piglets older than 1 week of age; resistance changes in the femoral and carotid circulations were variable except in the 2.5-3 month age group. Isoproterenol increased cardiac contractility at all doses in piglets of all ages and increased heart rate at low doses in piglets older than 2 days of age; however, blood pressure and femoral resistance decreases were age and dose dependent. There were age-related differences in the catecholamine dose required to elicit a given cardiac or peripheral circulatory effect and age-related differences in the direction and magnitude of such effects. These results provide evidence for differing rates of postnatal maturation of cardiovascular or-and /}-adrenergic mechanisms in swine. Ore Re* 45: 282-292, 1979

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Postnatal development of heart rate (HR), mean aortic pressure and arterial flow responses to carotid baroreceptor stimulation (CS) or inhibition (BCCO), and to sciatic nerve stimulation (SNS), was studied in 60 newborn piglets under halothane-N₂O anesthesia. There was no HR change in most piglets during CS or BCCO, but tachycardia was observed during high frequency or intensity SNS and after bilateral vagotomy. In younger animals, smaller pressor effects were observed during high frequency or intensity SNS than in older ones. There were also age-dependent changes in femoral and renal flows and resistances to CS, BCCO, SNS or bilateral vagotomy. The results indicate postnatal maturation of regulatory mechanisms for HR and peripheral flow.

The relative maturity of renal circulatory responses to efferent renal nerve stimulation, and to exogenous norepinephrine and isoproterenol, was tested in 62 piglets (1--16 days old) under pentobarbital anesthesia (10--25 mg/kg). Aortic pressure, heart rate, and renal and femoral arterial flows (measured by electromagnetic flow transducers) were recorded simultaneously. Renal vascular resistance was calculated as mean aortic pressure/mean flow. Transection of the renal nerve resulted in decreased renal resistance in all animals. Efferent renal nerve stimulation at increasing frequencies (2--12.5 Hz, at 1.2 ms pulse duration and 1.0 mA current) showed age-dependent differences in the threshold and also in the magnitude of increase in renal resistance. Norepinephrine (0.05--1.0 microgram/kg) caused age-dependent increases in renal resistance. Restoration of renal flow toward control level occurred during the peak pressor effect of norepinephrine only in older piglets. Isoproterenol (0.05--1.0 microgram/kg) did not alter renal resistance consistently in piglets younger than 1 wk. Phentolamine (0.25 mg/kg) attenuated or blocked resistance increases to 0.5 microgram norepinephrine/kg or to renal nerve stimulation at 12.5 Hz in all animals. Propranolol (0.1 mg/kg) attenuated or blocked resistance decreases to 0.1 microgram isoproterenol/kg, which occurred only in older piglets. These results indicate the presence of an active alpha-adrenergic vasoconstrictor mechanism and absence of the beta-adrenergic vasodilator mechanism in the renal circulation of swine at birth.

Regional blood flow changes in response to hypercapnia, hemorrhage, and sciatic nerve stimulation were studied in 22 newborn piglets. Femoral, renal and/or carotid arterial flows were recorded simultaneously with aortic pressure and heart rate in piglets lightly anesthetized with halothane. Observations were made while ventilation was regulated to maintain arterial pH and pCO₂ within the normal range, and when ventilation was adjusted to produce increased pCO₂ and decreased pH uncomplicated by hypoxia. The ability of the neonate to respond to low or high frequency and intensity sciatic nerve stimulation was studied during control, hypercapnia, and hypercapnia complicated by hemorrhage. The results indicate immaturity of the mechanisms normally utilized to compensate for these stresses.