Effect of Veratramine on Arterial Pressure and Heart Rate in Normal and Hypertensive Dogs

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Given intraven., veratramine caused marked hypotension and decrease in heart rate in neurogenic hypertensive dogs but produced only slight to moderate changes in normal and renal hypertensive animals. Marked hypotensive responses persisted in neurogenic hypertensive animals when cardiac slowing was largely prevented by cardiac sympathectomy. Veratramine-induced fall in blood pressure was shown to depend largely on fall in total peripheral resistance and to be mediated over the sympathetic nervous system. Neither atropine nor vagus section modified the response. Convulsions often followed veratramine in a dose of 0.1 mg./kg. and were almost invariable with larger doses.