Vasopressor Substance (Cerebrotonin) of Central Origin

Abstract

The observation that stimulation of the central ends of the cut vagus-sympathetic-depressor nerves of dogs with the spinal cord destroyed from C6 downward and adrenergic blockade causes a systemic pressor response was confirmed. Evidence was presented that this rise of pressure depends upon a humoral agent "cerebrotonin" which is different from vasopressin, epinephrine, norepinephrine and renin. Transfer of this vasoconstrictor to perfused target organs was shown. Effluent blood from perfused, amputated dogs'' heads, after central vagus stimulations was not shown to contain "cerebrotonin," presumably because of the trauma incident to the preparation. It was shown that transfusion of blood from the head to the body resulting from cerebral vasoconstriction could not be the prime cause of the arterial pressure response in these experiments. Failure to achieve more than 60-70% satisfactory pressor response on central vagus stimulation after adrenergic blockade demonstrated that all of the conditions necessary for the demonstration of "cerebrotonin" were not found.