Vagal nerve stimulation increases right ventricular contraction and relaxation and heart rate.

R J Henning, L Feliciano, C M Coers

Index: Cardiovasc. Res. 32(5) , 846-53, (1996)

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Abstract

To determine the effects of vasoactive intestinal peptide, released from the right and left vagal nerves, on ventricular contraction, relaxation, and heart rate.The muscarinic and beta-adrenergic receptors were blocked with atropine and propranolol, and afterload was controlled in 48 anesthetized, open-chest mongrel dogs. Experiments were performed in the absence (Series 1, 10 dogs) and in the presence (Series 2, 22 dogs) of a controlled heart rate and prior to and after the administration of a sensitive and selective vasoactive intestinal peptide antagonist (Series 3, 16 dogs).Right ventricular contraction (+dp/dtmax), relaxation (-dp/dtmin) and heart rate increased significantly during 20 Hz vagal nerve stimulation for 5 min. Vagal nerve stimulation in Series 1 increased right ventricular +dp/dtmax by 28% from a control value of 480 +/- 11 (P < 0.001) and right ventricular -dp/dtmin by 23% from a control value of 341 +/- 11 (P < 0.002). Left ventricular +dp/dtmax and -dp/dtmin increased slightly but not significantly. Vagal nerve stimulation also increased the heart rate by 29% from a control value of 149 +/- 2 (P < 0.001). During controlled heart rate in Series 2, vagal nerve stimulation at 20 Hz consistently increased right ventricular +dp/dtmax and -dp/dtmin comparable to Series 1 experiments but did not increase left ventricular +dp/dtmax or -dp/dtmin. Injection of the vasoactive intestinal peptide antagonist [4Cl-DPhe6, Leu17]VIP into the right coronary artery of 16 dogs in Series 3 did not affect right ventricular +dp/dtmax, -dp/dtmin, or heart rate. However, this antagonist substantially decreased the vagal-induced increases in right ventricular +dp/dtmax, -dp/dtmin, and heart rate by 85, 63, and 71% (P < 0.005), respectively.The present experiments suggest that vagal nerve stimulation releases vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) or a "VIP-like substance' that significantly increases right ventricular contraction, relaxation, and heart rate.