Effects of several muscarinic agonists on cardiac performance and the release of noradrenaline from sympathetic nerves of the perfused rabbit heart

Summary 1 The effects of several muscarinic agonists on atrial tension development, ventricular rate and noradrenaline release from terminal sympathetic fibres evoked by electrical nerve stimulation (SNS) and 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP) were measured in isolated perfused rabbit hearts. 2 Hexamethonium, in a concentration which almost abolished the release of noradrenaline by DMPP, had no effect on the release produced by SNS, confirming that the stimulation was postganglionic. 3 The order of potency for inhibition of atrial tension development was N-methyl-1,2,5,6, tetrahydro-nicotinic acid prop-2-yne ester (MH-1)>oxotremorine > acetylcholine > methacholine > carbachol > furtre…