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. 1971 Feb;212(3):655–666. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009348

Effects of mecamylamine on responses of carotid body chemoreceptors in vivo to physiological and pharmacological stimuli

S R Sampson
PMCID: PMC1395723  PMID: 5557066

Abstract

1. Effects of mecamylamine on the spontaneous discharge rate of afferent fibres of carotid body chemoreceptors in vivo and their responses to ACh, NaCN, HCl and hypoxia were studied in sixteen cats.

2. Cats were anaesthetized with sodium pentobarbitone, paralysed with gallamine triethiodide and artificially ventilated. Chemoreceptor excitants were injected into the common carotid artery; mecamylamine was given intravenously.

3. Mecamylamine, 230 μg/kg or greater, failed to diminish either the rate of spontaneous discharge of carotid body chemoreceptors at high arterial oxygen tensions (greater than 130 mm Hg), or the responses of these receptors to NaCN (0·5-25 μg), HCl or hypoxic blood.

4. Responses of chemoreceptor afferent fibres to ACh (1·0-50 μg) in the same preparations were either completely abolished or considerably reduced by mecamylamine.

5. These data do not support the hypothesis of a cholinergic mechanism for the initiation of chemosensory discharges in the carotid body, either at rest or in response to stimuli such as NaCN, acid or hypoxia.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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