The effects of sympatholytic drugs on the cardiovascular response to tilting in anaesthetized cats.

1. Using cats anaesthetized with chloralose and urethane, comparison was made of the abilities of several antihypertensive and sympatholytic drugs to lower systemic blood pressure, and to depress the compensatory cardiovascular responses to bilateral carotid occlusion and to 45 degrees head-up tilting. Similar comparisons were also made of the effects of these drugs on the perfusion pressure of the vascularly isolated autoperfused hindquarters, and the response of this to carotid occlusion and tilting. The effects of bilateral vagotomy and haemorrhage on these responses were also studied. 2. It was found that hypotensive doses of both bretylium and guanethidine (3.0 mg/kg, i.v.) markedly depressed the ability of cats to restore their systemic blood pressure and to constrict their hindquarters vasculature during tilting. Both drugs depressed the carotid occlusion reflex in the systemic, but not in the hindquarters, circulation. Neither propranolol, 2.0 mg/kg, i.v., nor bilaterial vagotomy had any effect on these parameters and haemorrhage sufficient to cause marked hypotension was without effect on the systemic responses to carotid occlusion or tilting. 3. Clonidine (1.0, 5.0 and 25 microgram/kg, i.v.), xylazine (62.5, 125 and 250 microgram/kg, i.v.) and reserpine (0.5 and 2.0 mg/kg, i.v.) all caused considerable hypotension but had no effect on the response to tilting of the systemic circulation, apart from somewhat prolonging recovering time. The highest dose of clonidine moderately depressed the hindquarters perfusion pressure, and the response of this to tilting. 4. Clonidine (5.0 and 25 microgram/kg, i.v.) and xylazine (125 and 250 microgram/kg, i.v.) depressed the systemic pressor responses elicited by the ganglion stimulants DMPP and McN-A-343. This may indicate that the ability of clonidine to prolong the pressure recovery during tilt may be due to impaired peripheral sympathetic transmission. 5. It is concluded that drugs which significantly reduce the compensatory pressure reponses to tilting in anaesthetized cats may also cause postural disturbances in man, whilst drugs which merely prolong the period required for pressure compensation seem much less likely to cause serious clinical impairment of orthostatic reflexes. It appears that the cardiovascular response to bilateral carotid occlusion may not provide a good index of the integrity of orthostatic reflexes.