Central and Peripheral Cardiovascular Changes Following Chemical Stimulation of the Surface of the Dog's Heart

Abstract

Epicardial stimulation of the left ventricle with nicotine in open-chest anaesthetized dogs produced a vagally mediated reflex fall in heart rate and blood pressure. In addition, reflex increase in femoral arterial blood flow was due to cholinergic sympathetic activation to skeletal muscle vessels. Epicardial stimulation also produced reflex depression of left ventricular force. The epicardial chemoreflex was inactivated by prior intracoronary injection of veratrine.