Hemodynamic responses to 6 degree head-down rest in dogs: effect of aerobic conditioning

The -6 degree head-down position is used in humans to produce fluid shifts that resemble those occurring in microgravity. Alternative animal models of microgravity may be helpful for extensive exploration of this unique condition. The dog may be a viable candidate. Sixteen dogs were assigned to one of three conditions: anesthetized open chest, anesthetized closed chest, and awake. Dogs in groups 1 (N = 6) and 2 (N = 6) were divided into an exercise or a sedentary treatment, and dogs in group 3 (N = 4) served as their own controls. Following instrumentation the dogs were put in the head-down position for 1 h. Measurements included right atrial pressure, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure for all groups, left ventricular pressure and LV dp/dt for group 1, and cardiac output and iliac flow for group 2. Right atrial pressure increased for all groups. Heart rate demonstrated non-significant changes over time or group. Significant differences were noted for mean arterial pressure, left ventricular pressure and LV dp/dt for exercise condition in response to HDR. It appears that -6 degrees of head-down rest produces similar cardiovascular responses in dogs as those observed in humans and that exercise has a minor effect on those responses.