RESISTANCE OF SYMPATHETIC CARDIAC NERVE FUNCTION IN THE PITHED RAT TO PREJUNCTIONAL EFFECTS OF ANGIOTENSIN II

1. The spinal sympathetic outflow (C7-T2) of pithed male Wistar rats was electrically stimulated (30-50 V, 0.5 ms, 0.1-1.0 Hz) and heart rate and arterial blood pressure were recorded. D-Tubocurarine (1 mg/kg) and atropine (1 mg/kg) were administered intravenously (i.v.) to reduce voluntary and parasympathetic nerve activity. 2. Angiotensin II (0.39-3.4 micrograms/kg per min) was infused at a rate which caused a sustained rise in diastolic blood pressure of at least 25 mmHg but which did not alter basal heart rate. 3. Chronotropic responses to sympathetic nerve stimulation were not affected by infusion of angiotensin II, and were also unaltered by pretreatment of rats with indomethacin (5 mg/kg, i.v.) 10 min prior to commencement of stimulation. 4. These results suggest that positive chronotropic responses to cardiac sympathetic nerve stimulation in pithed rats are not affected by increased angiotensin II levels. Indomethacin had no effect, which indicates that cyclo-oxygenase products were not involved in modulation of chronotropic responses to cardiac sympathetic nerve stimulation.