AJP - Heart and Circulatory Physiology, Vol 243, Issue 4 628-H633, Copyright © 1982 by American Physiological Society
Adenosine and coronary blood flow in conscious dogs during normal physiological stimuli
A. N. Bacchus, S. W. Ely, R. M. Knabb, R. Rubio and R. M. Berne
The role of adenosine in matching myocardial oxygen supply to demand by
regulating coronary blood flow has been the subject of intensive study. The
present experiments were designed to determine the relationship among
myocardial oxygen consumption, coronary blood flow, and adenosine
production as estimated by pericardial adenosine accumulation under several
physiological conditions in the same animal. Conscious chronically
instrumented dogs were used to measure changes in coronary blood flow,
myocardial oxygen consumption, and pericardial adenosine accumulation
during two levels of treadmill exercise, excitement caused by loud noises,
and feeding (the presentation and consumption of a meal). The results show
significant increases in the adenosine production with all experimental
procedures and significant linear correlations between myocardial oxygen
consumption and coronary blood flow (r = 0.78), myocardial oxygen
consumption and adenosine production (r = 0.73), and adenosine production
and coronary blood flow (r = 0.88). These data show that increases in
adenosine production by the normally oxygenated myocardium can be the
physiological mechanism for matching oxygen supply to increased oxygen
demand in the conscious dog.
