Vasopressin-induced changes in cardiac vagal tone and oxygen consumption in dogs

Experiments were conducted in 63 dogs to determine whether stimulation of vagal tone contributes to the decrease in O2 consumption (VO2) that results from arginine vasopressin (AVP) administration. Vagal stimulation with pilocarpine did not reduce VO2 in conscious dogs. In anesthetized dogs, bilateral electrical cervical efferent vagal stimulation lowered both cardiac output (CO; by 46%) and VO2 (by 22%) over the first 5 min. Between 7 and 11 min of stimulation, CO remained decreased, but VO2 returned to control. Significant increases in left atrial pressure, bradycardia, and a fall in mean arterial pressure accompanied vagal stimulation. All these effects of cervical vagal stimulation were abolished by cardiac denervation and also by pacing. Administration of a selective AVP V1 agonist led to significant reductions of CO and VO2. Cardiac denervation prevented the decrease in VO2 induced by AVP infusion, but not the decrease in CO. During AVP infusions, pacing at a rate slightly higher than control heart rate did not prevent the fall in CO or in VO2, whereas pacing at 150 beats/min prevented part of the fall in VO2. Sinoaortic denervation or atropine treatment prevented the decrease in VO2 resulting from AVP infusion. The combination of alpha- and beta-blockade did not affect the CO or the VO2 response to AVP infusion, nor did naloxone treatment. The administration of atrial or ventricular extracts, but not that of alpha-human atrial natriuretic peptide, led to a significant reduction in VO2. These results are compatible with the hypothesis that AVP infusion increases vagal tone to the heart, which, possibly as a result of increased left atrial pressure and reduced heart rate, may release a factor reducing VO2.