Origin of the rhythmical fluctuations in the animal without a natural heartbeat

In order to analyze the origin of the rhythmical fluctuations in the cardiovascular system, an artificial heart, which does not have rhythmical periodicities such as altering heart rate and cardiac function, was utilized in chronic animal experiments with adult goats. Two pneumatically actuated ventricular assist devices were implanted as a total biventricular bypass under general anesthesia, and then the natural heart was electrically fibrillated to constitute the biventricular bypass type of complete prosthetic circulation model. All hemodynamic data were recorded under awake conditions and were calculated in the computer system by spectral analysis methods. In the power spectrum of the arterial blood pressure of the animal with the artificial heart, the Mayer wave peak and respiratory wave peak were clearly observed, and spectral analysis including the coherence function suggests that the Mayer waves originated from the peripheral vascular resistance and the respiratory waves probably originated from the periodicities of the pulmonary circulation. These fluctuations in the circulatory system influenced the arterial baroreflex system and transfer to the sympathetic outflow through the central baroreflex system, which suggests that rhythmical fluctuations in hemodynamic parameters originate at least in part from these vascular periodicities.