inotropes
Last reviewed 01/2018
Inotropes can be divided into the following classes:
- cardiac glycosides
- catecholamines
- phosphodiesterase inhibitors
- calcium entry promoters - opposite of calcium channel blockers. Act on nitrendipine receptors. Good intropy in vitro, but in vivo, vasoconstriction precludes increase in mechanical activity.
- calcium
- calcium sensitizers - increase affininty of troponin for calcium (depressed by hypoxia and acidosis). These are a potential future developement, with the added potential advantage that they would not increase myoplasmic calcium, therefore perhaps less problem with arrhythmias.