Does sympathetic nerve stimulation or administration of sympathomimetic amines alter the fibrillation threshold in dog ventricles?
Sympathetic nerve stimulation and sympathomimetic amines have distinct effects on ventricular fibrillation thresholds in a canine model, with temporal dispersion of excitability recovery closely linked to vulnerability.
Effects of stimulation of the cardiac sympathetic nerves and intravenous administration of sympathomimetic amines on the multiple response or fibrillation threshold (VMRT) and on other properties of the dog ventricles were compared. Stimulation of the cardiac sympathetic nerves decreased the VMRT. Administration of sympathomimetic amines caused a brief decrease in the VMRT followed by a sustained increase. Temporal dispersion of recovery of excitability and the degree of ventricular vulnerability were closely related; the ventricle was more vulnerable to fibrillation when the dispersion was increased. The hyperkalemic effect of epinephrine was not responsible for the observed changes in ventricular vulnerability.
Han et al. (1964) studied this question.