EFFECT OF CERVICO-THORACIC GANGLIONECTOMY ON THE ADRENALINE AND NORADREN ALINE CONTENT IN THE MAMMALIAN HEART1

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Abstract
Sheep and dogs were subjected to various stages of cardiac sympatho-ganglionectomy (right cervical, or left cervical, or right thoracic, or left thoracic). Three weeks post-operative the hearts were removed and bioassayed for epinephrine and the sympathetic nerve neurohormone, norepinephrine. In sheep, upon removal of either the right cervical or right thoracic sympathetic ganglia, cardiac nor epinephrine was reduced to approximately one half and if both groups were removed, the norepinephrine titer was reduced to about 1/6. In dog, resection of the right thoracic cardiac ganglia had little effect upon the cardiac norepinephrine, but resection of the right cervical reduced the norepinephrine content to approximately one half. Resection of the left cervical and left thoracic cardiac ganglia had little effect upon the norepinephrine content of the sheep and dog heart. In both the sheep and dog, removal of the cardiac sympathetics had no consistent effect upon the epinephrine content of the heart. After total cardiac sympathoganglionectomy in sheep, the heart in terms of norepinephrine content showed signs of sympathetic nerve regeneration 5 weeks post-operatively and complete regeneration in 16 weeks.