The Functional Significance of the Cardiac Nerves
Authors: THEODORE COOPER
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1967)

Editorials1 February 1967The Functional Significance of the Cardiac NervesTHEODORE COOPER, M.D., PH.D.THEODORE COOPER, M.D., PH.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-66-2-440 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptWith the demonstration that orthotopic cardiac autotransplants can survive indefinitely (1) and that cardiac innervation is not essential to intrinsic myocardial contractility (2), and since artificial hearts may soon become a practical reality, the question "Is cardiac innervation necessary?" has arisen. In experimental animals, the presence of a functional connection of the central nervous system to the heart is clearly not essential to life or to the heart's ability to respond appropriately to certain stresses such as exercise (3). Thus, the "denervated heart" preparation is a well-recognized research device for showing the role that the nerves can play in response...References1. WILLMANCOOPERHANLON VLTCR: Return of neural responses after autotransplantation of the heart. Amer. J. Physiol. 207: 187, 1964. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. SPANNSONNENBLICKCOOPERCHIDSEYWILLMANBRAUNWALD JFEHTCAVLE: Cardiac norepinephrine stores and the contractile state of heart muscle. Circ. Res. 19: 317, 1966. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. DONALDSHEPHERD DEJT: Response to exercise in dogs with cardiac denervation. Amer. J. Physiol. 205: 393, 1963. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar4. COOPER T: Physiologic and pharmacologic effects of cardiac denervation (symposium). Fed. Proc. 24: 1428, 1965. MedlineGoogle Scholar5. SONNENBLICKBRAUNWALDWILLIAMSGLICK EHEJFG: Effects of exercise on myocardial force-velocity relations in intact unanesthetized man: relative roles of changes in heart rate, sympathetic activity and ventricular dimensions. J. Clin. Invest. 44: 2051, 1965. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. PEISSCOOPERWILLMANRANDALL CNTVLWC: Circulatory responses to electrical and reflex activation of the nervous system after cardiac denervation. Circ. Res. 19: 153, 1966. CrossrefGoogle Scholar7. DEGEESTLEVYZIESKELIPMAN HMNHRI: Depression of ventricular contractility by stimulation of the vagus nerves. Circ. Res. 17: 222, 1965. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. EPSTEINROBINSONKAHLERBRAUNWALD SEBFRLE: Effects of beta adrenergic blockade on cardiac response to normal and subnormal exericse in man. J. Clin. Invest. 44: 1745, 1965. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. RAAB W: The sympathogenic biochemical trigger mechanism of angina pectoris. Its therapeutic and long-range prevention. Amer. J. Cardiol. 9: 576, 1962. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10. STEPHENS SA: Unwanted effects of propanolol. Amer. J. Cardiol. 18: 463, 1966. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11. COOPERJELLINEKWILLMANGANTNERHANLON TMVLGACR: Biochemical studies of myocardium and blood during extracorporeal circulation in man. Circulation 31 (suppl. 1): 144, 1965. Google Scholar12. CHIDSEYBRAUNWALD CAE: Sympathetic activity and neurotransmitter depletion in congestive heart failure. Pharmacol. Rev. 18: 685, 1966. MedlineGoogle Scholar13. KAISERJELLINEKCOOPERHANLON GCMTCR: Experimental heart block: effect on myocardial catecholamine concentration. Amer. J. Physiol. 208: 477, 1965. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar14. SPANNCHIDSEYPOOLBRAUNWALD JFCAPEE: Mechanism of norepinephrine depletion in experimental heart failure produced by aortic constriction in the guinea pig. Circ. Res. 17: 312, 1965. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar15. COVELLCHIDSEYBRAUNWALD JWCAE: Reduction of the cardiac response to postganglionic sympathetic nerve stimulation in experimental heart failure. Circ. Res. 19: 51, 1966. CrossrefGoogle Scholar16. TANZ RD: The action of ouabain on cardiac muscle treated with reserpine and dichloroisoproterenol. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 144: 205, 1964. MedlineGoogle Scholar17. SPANNSONNENBLICKCOOPERCHIDSEYWILLMANBRAUNWALD JFEHTCAVLE: Studies on digitalis XIV: influence of cardiac norepinephrine stores on the response of isolated heart muscle to digitalis. Circ. Res. 19: 326, 1966. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar18. HEYMANSNEIL CE: Reflexogenic Areas of the Cardiovascular System. Little, Brown and Co., Boston, 1958. Google Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Department of Pharmacology University of New Mexico School of Medicine Albuquerque, N. M. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByThe sympathetic innervation of the heart: Important new insightsFunktionelle Anatomie des Herzens 1 February 1967Volume 66, Issue 2Page: 440-443KeywordsCentral nervous systemExerciseHeartNerves Issue Published: 1 February 1967 PDF DownloadLoading ...