Incomplete cardiac vagal blockade with atropine in the anesthetized dog.

Abstract

In dogs in neurolept-anesthesia the successive administration of alpha- and beta-adrenergic blocking agents and atropine, which should cause the functional equivalent of surgical denervation of the heart, always results in a marked tachycardia. The same is observed in conscious dogs, but not during methoxyflurane anesthesia. Bilateral vagotomy and administration of hexamethonium abolish the tachycardia. These observations demonstrate the presence of a vagally mediated chronotropic effect which becomes manifest when the inhibitory vagal effect is eliminated through blockade of the muscarinic receptors with atropine.

• Authors: J R Brunsting, J H Bennekers, H A Schuil, W G Zijlstra
• Journal: Pflugers Archiv : European journal of physiology (Pflugers Arch) Vol. 381 Issue 3 Pg. 293-5 (Sep 1979) ISSN: 0031-6768 [Print] Germany
• PMID: 42039 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antipsychotic Agents
• Methoxyflurane
• Atropine
• Nitrous Oxide

Topics

• Anesthesia
• Animals
• Antipsychotic Agents (pharmacology)
• Atropine (pharmacology)
• Denervation
• Dogs
• Female
• Heart (innervation, physiology)
• Heart Rate (drug effects)
• Male
• Methoxyflurane (pharmacology)
• Nitrous Oxide (pharmacology)
• Vagus Nerve (physiology)