Comparison of the cardiostimulatory effects of acetylcholine and nicotine on the working guinea-pig heart.

The isolated working guinea-pig heart was used to compare the cardiostimulatory effects of acetylcholine and nicotine observed in the presence of atropine. Both agonists increased aortic pressure, left ventricular pressure, left ventricular dP/dt, cardiac output, and ventricular cyclic AMP levels. These responses were qualitatively and quantitatively similar to the effects of exogenous norepinephrine. Hexamethonium treatment abolished the responses to acetylcholine and to nicotine. However, several differences in the responses of the two agonists were also observed with respect to: 1) the effect of propranolol pretreatment, 2) selective effects on coronary and aortic flow rates, 3) coefficients of correlation between ventricular cyclic AMP and changes in dP/dt, and 4) the "autoinhibition" effect. The results support the view that the cardiostimulatory effects of acetylcholine are due entirely to endogenous catecholamine release, but that the effects of nicotine may involve an additional action.