Acute cardiovascular effects of methyl methacrylate monomer: characterization and modification by cholinergic blockade, adrenergic stimulation and calcium chloride infusion.

1. Methyl methacrylate monomer (MMA) given by i.v. infusion to anesthetized dogs caused a sustained hypotension, bradycardia, reduction of cardiac output and stroke volume, and increased peripheral resistance. 2. Epinephrine i.v. could reverse the hypotension but not the bradycardia; isoproterenol i.v. could reverse the bradycardia but not the hypotension. 3. Bilateral cervical vagotomy prevented bradycardia but not other cardiovascular effects of MMA, and prevented all respiratory effects except hypoxemia. 4. Calcium chloride i.v. reversed all circulatory changes except bradycardia; a combination of atropine and calcium reversed all cardiovascular changes from MMA.