SummaryThe heart rate responses to stimulation of the right and left cardiac autonomic nerves were evaluated in 20 puppies and 17 adult dogs. In every puppy and adult dog, the changes in heart rate were much greater with right-than with left-sided stimulation of the vagal or sympathetic nerves. At maximal stimulation frequencies, the % changes in heart rate (mean k S.E.M.) were: right stellate, adults +50.0 ( 2 5.1) and puppies +23.6 (k2.8); left stellate, adults +20.0 (k2.4) and puppies +5.6 (k2.3); right vagus, adults -74.0 (25.2) and puppies -43.6 (f3.3); and left vagus, adults -44.1 (k2.0) and puppies -24.9 (k2.3). At any given stimulation frequency, the heart rate responses were significantly greater in adult dogs than in puppies, with either stellate or vagal stimulation. In 47% of the puppies and in 11% of the adult dogs, left stellate stimulation had no detectable effect on heart rate, although there was evidence of an increase in blood pressure in each of these animals. In these animals, fibers from the left stellate ganglion did not innervate the sinoatrial node.Cardiac function in newborns and young animals is different from adults (2,7,20,47,48). Biochemical and histologic studies suggest that the sympathetic innervation of the heart is anatomically incomplete in newborns (18,27,33,42), whereas the parasympathetic innervation appears to be anatomically complete (8,12,15,17,44). The functional status of these autonomic nervous pathways in young animals has not been fully established, however. In the present investigation, we have evaluated functionally " the chronotropic responses to autonomic stimulation in puppies. Also. we have com~ared the chronotro~ic resDonses to rieht-and " left-sided autonomic stimulation in puppies and adult dogs.
MATERIALS AND METHODSTwenty puppies from six litters and 17 adult dogs were anesthetized with sodium pentobarbital (30 mg/kg, intravenously or intraperitoneally). A tracheal cannula was inserted in each animal, and intermittent positive pressure respiration was instituted. The chest was opened transversely at the fourth intercostal space. Both stellate ganglia in the chest and both cervical vagi were isolated. Crushing the vagi and the rami communicantes to the stellate ganglia by means of tight ligatures eliminated the tonic neural activity to the heart (1, 26).The atrial electrogram was recorded from a bipolar electrode catheter, which was introduced into the right atrial cavity. The atrial electrogram, arterial blood pressure (Statham PB23A transducer), and the heart rate were recorded on an eight-channel oscillograph (Brush, Mark 200). The heart rate was derived from the atrial electrogram with an analog computer (EAI-580).Bipolar iridium electrodes were connected to a Grass S4 stimulator (with an isolation unit), in order to stimulate both stellate ganglia and the cardiac segments of both vagi. To prevent drying and to decrease current spread, mineral oil was applied to the cardiac nerves in the region of the stimulating electrodes. Stimuli to the stellate gang...