Effects of combined stimulation of right and left vagus nerves on heart rate in rabbits.

The negative chronotropic effects of combined stimulations of the right and left vagus nerves were compared with the effects of single nerve stimulations in 10 urethan anesthetized rabbits. The combined stimulations gave smaller effects than single nerve stimulations at double frequency, over a wide range of frequencies: this was more evident for the right vagus compared with right plus left, rather than vice versa. It is concluded that the effects of combined stimulations are partially occluded and that the left vagus has smaller effects than the right vagus, although such difference becomes apparent only with combined stimulations. Possible mechanisms of occlusion are discussed.