Influence of cardiac denervation on subsidiary atrial pacemaker stabilization

Overdrive suppression was determined by measuring cardiac cycle lengths after rapid atrial pacing in nine alert conscious dogs sustaining total intrapericardial denervation. Rapid atrial pacing was performed at 125-400% of spontaneous heart rate for 30 s and at 200% spontaneous rate for 30, 60, 120, and 180 s, with and without cholinergic (atropine 0.2 mg/kg iv) or adrenergic blockade (propranolol 0.5 mg/kg iv). Corrected recovery time (CRT) was defined as the first recovery cycle length minus average control cycle length. To compare responses of the intact sinoatrial node (SAN) and subsidiary atrial pacemakers, CRT was measured in the conscious animal before and after SAN excision. Immediately after SAN excision, a junctional rhythm was frequently observed, but within a short time (min-h), subsidiary atrial pacemaker dominance was established with well-formed P waves and P-R interval averaging 85.3 +/- 3.4 ms. CRT before SAN excision ranged from 100 to 300 ms. Following pacing at 125-400% of spontaneous heart rate soon after SAN excision, CRT was markedly prolonged, ranging up to 6,000 ms. Atropine and propranolol did not influence CRT in the denervated preparation. CRT of subsidiary atrial pacemakers in the normally innervated dog heart returned to control pre-SAN excision values in 1-2 wk. In the denervated heart complete autonomic denervation exaggerated time required for return to control CRT values to 5-8 wk.