Volume 51: 341-346, 2002


Effect of Autonomic Blockers on Heart Period Variability in Calves: Evaluation of the Sympatho-Vagal Balance


G. DESPRÉS, I. VEISSIER, A. BOISSY

Adaptation et Comportements Sociaux, URH, Centre INRA de Clermont-Theix, 63122, Saint Genes-Champanelle, France



Received June 26, 2001
Accepted November 1, 2002


Summary
This study was designed to validate the measures of heart period variability for assessing of autonomic nervous system control in calves. Eight calves received an injection of either 0.5 mg/kg atenolol (sympathetic tone blockade), 0.2 mg/kg atropine sulfate (parasympathetic tone blockade), 0.5 mg/kg atenolol + 0.2 mg/kg atropine sulfate (double autonomic blockade) or saline. In the time-domain, we calculated the mean instantaneous heart rate (HR), mean of RR intervals (MeanRR), standard deviation of RR intervals (SDRR) and that of the difference between adjacent intervals (RMSSD). In the frequency-domain, the power of the spectral band 0-1 Hz (TPW), the power of the 0-0.15 Hz band (LF), that of the 0.15-1 Hz band (HF), and the LF/HF ratio were considered. The net vago-sympathetic effect (VSE) was calculated as the ratio of MeanRR in a defined situation to MeanRR during the double blockade. Atenolol injection had no effect on cardiac activity, whereas atropine induced large modifications which were moderated when atenolol was administered at the same time. VSE, HR, MeanRR and RMSSD were found to be valid indicators of the parasympathetic tone of calves because of large variations due to the drug and low individual variations. No measure reflected the sympathetic tone.


Key words
Autonomic nervous system · Heart period · Cholinergic antagonists · Adrenergic antagonists · Calves


Reprint requests
Gérard Després, ACS, URH, Centre INRA de Clermont-Theix, 63122, Saint Genes-Champanelle, France.
E-mail: depres@clermont.inra.fr


PHYSIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
© 2002 by the Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences

ISSN 0862 - 8408

Issue 4