The Adrenal Gland and the Cardiovascular Changes in Acute Anoxic Anoxia in Dogs

Abstract

The hyperkinetic circulatory state observed in intact anesthetized dogs at the end of a 15 minute period of breathing 6 per cent oxygen in nitrogen was absent in a similar series of dogs acutely adrenalectomized by the ligation technie. Blood removed from intact animals at the end of the anoxic period and infused into normal assay dogs produced a rise in cardiac output in the latter which was not observed with comparable infusions of normal blood or blood removed from adrenalectomized anoxic dogs. The transferable agent demonstrated by this study is considered responsible for the rise in cardiac output in the anoxic donor. It is suggested that this agent arises from the adrenal medulla.