Point of View: Denervation supersensitivity to noradrenaline in resistance vessels in denervated canine myocardium
Angela J Drake-Holland1 and Mark I.M Noble2
1School of Pharmacy, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 1FR, 2Cardiovascular Medicine, Dept of Medicine and Therapeutics, University of Aberdeen Medical School, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZN.
Correspondence to: Prof. AJ Drake-Holland, School of Pharmacy, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, AB10 1FR, E-mail: a.drake-holland@rgu.ac.uk. Prof M I M Noble can be reached at mimnoble@mac.com
[Received 25 January 2008; first decision 1 February 2008; revised, accepted and published 13 Feb 2008]
Abstract:
Cannon’s law states that a chronically denervated structure is supersensitive to the neurotransmitter it is normally regulated by. However, the present consensus is that myocardial arteriolar resistance vessels are not supersensitive to noradrenaline following chronic sympathetic denervation of the heart. We present an extended interpretation of results of a published study in which the volume of distribution of radiolabeled hydroxyephedrine and blood flow were measured in innervated and denervated regions of the same canine heart using positron emission tomography. For a given amount of noradrenaline, myocardial blood flow was lower in denervated than innervated myocardium, indicating denervation supersensitivity. This finding has implications for patients with cardiac autonomic neuropathy.
Please cite this article as: Drake-Holland AJ and Noble MIM. Denervation supersensitivity to noradrenaline in resistance vessels in denervated canine myocardium. Medical Physiology Online, 13 Feb 2008, available from http://www.medicalphysiologyonline.org
Medical Physiology Online 
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