The peripheral vascular response to severe exercise in untethered dogs before and after complete heart block

The peripheral vascular response to severe exercise was studied in 11 healthy conscious dogs instrumented with Doppler ultrasonic flow probes on the mesenteric, renal, and iliac arteries, and miniature pressure gauges in the aorta. The response to severe exercise was restudied in six of these dogs after recovery from a second operation producing complete heart block by the injection of formalin into the atrioventricular (AV) node. Three of these dogs also exercised while their ventricles were paced at rates of 100/min and 200/min. The untethered normal dogs ran at speeds of 15-25 miles/hr behind a mobile recording unit for a distance averaging 1.5 miles, while continuous measurements of arterial blood pressure and blood flow were telemetered and recorded on magnetic tape. Severe exercise in normal dogs increased heart rate from 84 to 259/min, arterial pressure from 89 to 140 mm Hg, flow resistance in the mesenteric and renal beds by 59 and 52% respectively, and iliac blood flow 479% above control, while mesenteric and renal blood flows remained constant and iliac resistance decreased by 73%.