The Influence of Epinephrin upon the Coronary Circulation of the Monkey

Decrease in coronary flow was the constant response of freshly isolated monkey hearts to epinephrin. These hearts were perfused with autogenous hirudinized blood diluted with Locke solution. The results were constant at high or low perfusion pressures, in beating or resting hearts, and with all adequate doses. Increased coronary flow was obtained constantly in rabbit hearts under identical conditions. In the light of previous work upon isolated human coronary arteries, the general conclusion is drawn that, while actively dilating the coronary vessels in the dog, cat, rabbit, ox, sheep, and pig, epinephrin constricts the coronary vessels in man and the monkey. The coronary arteries of the last two species are presumably supplied with constrictor nerves of true sympathetic (thoracicolumbar) origin.