NITRIC OXIDE INFLUENCES THE FRANK-STARLING RESPONSE IN THE ISOLATED HEART OF THE EEL (Anguilla anguilla)

• Main Authors: Tota B, De Iuri L, Imbrogno S, Mazza R
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anguilla anguilla
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.519.3783; http://www-heb.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/congress/2000/papers/cardiopdf/tota.pdf

Teleost hearts are very sensitive to the Frank-Starling mechanism. The isolated and perfused eel heart, in which filling pressure is the primary determinant of cardiac output, displays the typical Frank-Starling response (Davie et al., 1992), allowing adaptation to the remarkable haemodynamic challenges experienced by the animal during its life cycle. Recent studies in mammalian heart preparations have indicated that nitric oxide (NO), released by either the cardiomyocytes and /or the endothelial cells of both the coronary microvasculature and the endocardium, can influence the Frank-Starling response (Prendergast et al., 1997). Since no information is available in fish, we have investigated the interaction between NO and the Frank-Starling response in the isolated and perfused eel heart. An in vitro preparation of the working heart of Anguilla anguilla, electrically paced, able to generate physiological values of output pressure, cardiac output, ventricle work and power, was used (Imbrogno et al., 2000). Fresh-water Anguilla anguilla (n = 44) of both sexes, (weighing 96.55 + 4.56)