Prolonged Pressor Effects of Selective Stimulation of the Stellate Ganglion

Abstract

With both intensity and duration of individual current pulses maintained constant and at low values, frequencies were varied from ½ to 80/sec., and the stimulating current was applied to the stellate ganglion of the open chest dog. Whereas systolic and pulse pressures increased rapidly with the application of high frequency currents, the pressures were not long maintained even though the stimulation was continuous. With low frequency currents, systolic and pulse pressures rose more slowly but to higher levels which were sustained for periods of 5 to 11 hours. It is believed that neither cardiac acceleration nor systemic vasoconstriction contributed significantly to the pressor responses, but rather that augmentation of myocardial contraction and increased systolic ejection were the important causative factors.