Anesthetics and Response of Atria to Sympathetic Nerve Stimulation

Abstract

Isolated, sympathetically-innervated cat atria were used to examine the effect of anesthetic gases on the disposition of norepinephrine released by nerve stimulation. Increased rate of atrial beating in response to sympathetic stimulation at frequencies between 0.5 and 8 impulses/sec. was unaffected by cyclopropane, halothane, methoxy-flurane or ether, although all had pronounced negative inotropic actions. The anesthetics had no observable action on the major pathway for inactivation of neurally-released norepinephrine, namely its reuptake by sympathetic nerve endings. This was supported by the absence of effect of cyclopropane, halothane or ether on the retention of H3-norepinephrine in slices of cat ventricle.