THE CATECHOLAMINES IN LIZARD HEART

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Abstract
Summary: Fluorimetric assay of nine samples of auricles of the Sleepy Lizard Tiliqua rugosa yielded mean noradrenaline and adrenaline contents of 2·54 and 0·34 μg./g. tissue respectively. The ratio of noradrenaline to adrenaline was consistently high despite considerable variation in the total catecholamine content, and was confirmed by parallel bioassay on three samples of pooled auricles. Reserpine in the relatively high dose of 20 mg./Kg. depleted the tissues of total catecholamines. The findings are interpreted as evidence that noradrenaline is the sympathetic transmitter in the lizard, and support the results of an earlier study which emphasised the similar pharmacological properties of sympathetic nerve transmission in the lizard and mammalian hearts.

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