COCKROACH HEART RESPONSE TO CARDIO-ACCELERATORS

Stimulation of the segmental nerve bundle of the American cockroach, Periplaneta americana caused a short increase in heartbeat rate of the isolated heart. The amount of rate increase was related sigmoidally to the stimulation frequency. Very low frequency stimulation of the segmental bundle caused initial slowing of the heartbeat rate. The cardio-accelerating property of cockroach blood and of lateral cardiac nerve cord extracts could not be compared with in vitro stimulation of the segmental nerve. The blood factor was heat-stable, dialyzable and did not withstand ashing. The factor was not a simple ion imbalance, and acted both on the cardiac neurons and the denervated myocardium by causing an increase in activity. The effect of the blood factor could be reproduced by assay of of low concentrations of a molecule with calcium-chelating properties. Since the cardio-acceleration had no specific site of action, and its effects could be reproduced by moleccules with calcium-chelating abilities, the so-called cardio-excitatory factors were considered artifacts until their actions are more clearly defined in vivo. © 1969 Kluwer Academic Publishers.