Vasoactive intestinal peptide in canine hearts: effect of total cardiac denervation

The effect of total cardiac denervation on the distribution of cardiac immunoreactive vasoactive intestinal peptide (IR-VIP) was determined in four groups of dogs. Denervated dogs killed at either 7 days (group 1) or 30 days (group 3) were compared with sham-operated dogs killed at either 7 days (group 2) or 30 days (group 4). The highest concentrations of IR-VIP were found in the left atrium and proximal left anterior descending and circumflex coronary arteries and were not affected by denervation. Concentrations of IR-VIP in the left ventricle were barely detectable. Only right ventricular IR-VIP concentrations were significantly lower in denervated compared with sham-operated dogs in both groups. Thus these data provide evidence of intrinsic VIP innervation of the atria and epicardial coronary arteries and localized extrinsic VIP innervation of the right ventricle of the canine heart.