Direct effects in vivo of angiotensins I and II on the canine sinus node

Abstract

The chronotropic responses to angiotensins I and II (5 μg in 1 mL Tyrode's solution) injected into the sinus node artery were assessed before and after the intravenous administration of captopril (2 mg/kg) and saralasin (20 μg/kg) in anaesthetized dogs. The effects of angiotensin II given intravenously were also observed. The animals (n = 8) were vagotomized and pretreated with propranolol (1 mg/kg, i.v.) to prevent baroreceptor-mediated responses to increases in blood pressure. Injection of angiotensin I into the sinus node artery induced significant increases in heart rate (114 ± 6 vs. 133 ± 6 beats/min) and in systemic systolic (134 ± 13 vs. 157 ± 14 mmHg; 1 mmHg = 133.3 Pa) and diastolic (95 ± 10 vs. 126 ± 13 mmHg) blood pressures. Similar results were obtained when angiotensin II was injected into the sinus node artery, but intravenous injection induced changes in systolic (138 ± 8 vs. 180 ± 25 mmHg) and diastolic (103 ± 8 vs. 145 ± 20 mmHg) blood pressures only. Captopril induced a significant decrease in systolic (118 ± 11 vs. 88 ± 12 mmHg) and diastolic (84 ± 9 vs. 59 ± 9 mmHg) blood pressures without affecting the heart rate (109 ± 6 vs. 106 ± 6 beats/min). Saralasin produced a significant increase in systolic (109 ± 7 vs. 126 ± 12 mmHg) blood pressure only. Increments in heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressures in response to angiotensins I and II were, respectively, abolished by captopril and saralasin. It was concluded that angiotensin II has, in vivo, a direct positive chronotropic effect that can be blocked by saralasin. The antagonism by captopril of the response to angiotensin I suggests the presence of local tissue converting enzyme activity in the region of the sinus node.Key words: angiotensin, chronotropic effect, tissue converting enzyme.