Cardiac stimulant

Examples

• β1-Adrenergic receptor agonists like epinephrine, norepinephrine, dopamine, dobutamine, denopamine, isoproterenol, and xamoterol
• Adrenergic agents indirectly activating β1-adrenergic receptors
  • Norepinephrine prodrugs like droxidopa
  • Norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors like atomoxetine, reboxetine, desipramine, nortriptyline, bupropion, milnacipran, methylphenidate, and cocaine
  • Norepinephrine releasing agents like amphetamine, methamphetamine, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, phenylpropanolamine, and mephentermine
• α1-Adrenergic receptor antagonists like phentolamine, prazosin, terazosin, and doxazosin
• α2-Adrenergic receptor antagonists like phentolamine, yohimbine, and atipamezole
• Antimuscarinic anticholinergics like atropine
• Adenosine receptor antagonists like caffeine, theophylline, and aminophylline
• PDE3 inhibitors like amrinone, milrinone, and pimobendan
• Cardiac glycosides like digoxin
• Other agents like hydralazine, levosimendan, and cannabinoids

Exercise is also a cardiac stimulant by increasing levels of the sympathomimetic catecholamines epinephrine and norepinephrine.

References

References

1. (September 2008). "Inotropes and vasopressors: review of physiology and clinical use in cardiovascular disease". Circulation.
2. (January 2000). "Pharmacotherapeutics of positive inotropes". AORN J.
3. (July 2018). "Comprehensive review of cardiovascular toxicity of drugs and related agents". Med Res Rev.
4. (November 2006). "Stress and the neuroendocrine system: the role of exercise as a stressor and modifier of stress". Expert Rev Endocrinol Metab.
5. (January 2023). "Relationships among norepinephrine levels, exercise capacity, and chronotropic responses in heart failure patients". Heart Fail Rev.