A comparative study on the influence of dopamine and metaproterenol on the ventricular fibrillation threshold in cats

Abstract

The influence of 3-4-dihydroxyphenylethylamine (dopamine) on the VFT of the cat heart was checked with different doses in comparison to metaproterenol (Alupent). In the therapeutical doses dopamine has no significant influence on the VFT in contrast to metaproterenol. The clinical relevance of our findings seems to be that dopamine can be applied in therapeutical doses without running the risk of inducing serious cardiac arrhythmia.