15AU81, a tricyclic benzindene analog of prostacyclin, is currently under preclinical evaluation as a potential treatment for congestive heart failure. The cardiovascular effects of 15AU81 were evaluated in anesthetized beagle dogs given 4-h infusions at rates of either 0.1, 0.3, 1.0, or 3.0 mug/kg/min. Plasma samples taken from these dogs prior to, during, and after the infusion, were analyzed for 15AU81 by a radioimmunoassay (RIA). This report integrates the vasodilatory effects and plasma concentration data from the 15AU81 infusion study. Pharmacokinetic analysis of mean data indicated a biphasic decay of 15AU81 in plasma, with an initial half-life of approximately 2 min, and a terminal half-life of approximately 20 min. Visual inspection of plots of drug effect and drug concentration against time indicated a close relationship between plasma concentration of 15AU81 and the onset of decreases in total peripheral resistance (TPR) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). In general, the decreases in TPR and PVR induced by 15AU81 were maintained during infusion. Concentration-effect plots indicated some hysteresis in TPR vs plasma concentrations of 15AU81 after termination of the infusion; possible explanations for this hysteresis include the presence of saturating concentrations of 15AU81 at the effect site, with a delay in the clearance of 15AU81 from the effect site compared to its clearance from plasma, and/or the presence of active metabolites at the effect site. A fit of the TPR and PVR data to the E(max) pharmacodynamic model predicted that the maximum decrease in TPR achievable with 15AU81 in anesthetized dogs was 66%, and that the concentration of 15AU81 producing 50% of the maximum effect (EC50) was 8.6 ng/ml. Similarly, the predicted maximum reduction in PVR achievable with 15AU81 in dogs was estimated to be 22%, and the EC50 value was estimated to be 11.3 ng/ml. Thus, while the magnitude of the effect of 15AU81 on TPR and PVR may be different, the similar EC50 values suggested that there may be no selectivity of 15AU81 for the pulmonary or peripheral circulation in the normotensive, anesthetized dog.
