Insulin modulation of chronotropic response to Adrenaline in diabetic dogs

In 8 unanesthetized dogs, 10-21 days post pancreatectomy, the cardiac chronotropic response to rapid infusion of a pharmacological dosage of Adrenaline was begun. During the subsequent month, the response was recorded electrocardiographically on 19 occasions. On 8 occasions, animals were treated with continuous intravenous administration of fluids and insulin up to the time of the test; on 11, insulin was omitted for 18 hours before Adrenaline injection. Insulin treated animals responded with the typical brief initial bradycardia, followed by some 2 minutes of ventricular tachycardia, and restoration of preinjection heart rate and electrocardiograph pattern within 5 minutes. On those occasions when insulin was omitted, the tachycardia was replaced by ventricular bradycardia. The altered chronotropic response of non-insulin treated dogs indicates impairment of their cardiac beta receptors.