Inotropic treatment and intestinal mucosal tissue oxygenation in a model of porcine endotoxemia

Abstract

In this model of porcine endotoxemia, dopamine and, to a lesser extent, dopexamine increase intestinal mucosal tissue oxygenation. Of all three inotropes used, dobutamine has the most pronounced effect on systemic oxygen delivery, but it does not improve mucosal tissue oxygenation. Selective vasodilation within the intestinal mucosa, mediated mainly by dopamine-1 receptors, seems to explain the observed intestinal mucosal effect of dopamine and dopexamine.