INHIBITION BY OMEGA-CONOTOXIN GVIA OF THE CHRONOTROPIC RESPONSES TO SYMPATHETIC AND PARASYMPATHETIC NERVE-STIMULATION IN THE ISOLATED, BLOOD-PERFUSED ATRIUM OF THE DOG

1 We investigated the effects of omega-conotoxin GVIA (omega-CgTX), a blocker of N-type voltage-operated calcium channels, on the chronotropic response to stimulation of the intracardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves in the isolated, blood-perfused right atrium of the dog. 2 Omega-CgTX (0.3-3 nmol) itself did not affect the sinus rate significantly, but it inhibited the negative followed by positive chronotropic response to simultaneous stimulation of sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves in a dose-dependent manner. 3 Omega-CgTX at higher doses (1-3 nmol) inhibited the positive response to sympathetic stimulation more strongly than the negative response to parasympathetic stimulation. Omega-CgTX (3 nmol) abolished the positive chronotropic response to sympathetic nerve stimulation in the atrium treated with atropine, but did not abolish the negative response to selective parasympathetic stimulation. Neither the chronotropic response to noradrenaline nor the response to acetylcholine was affected by omega-CgTX. 4 These results indicate that omega-CgTX inhibits not only the response to sympathetic stimulation but also the response to.parasympathetic stimulation in the dog heart and it inhibits the positive chronotropic response to sympathetic stimulation more strongly than the negative chronotropic response to parasympathetic stimulation.