title: Role of relative changes in caval flows for evaluation of right atrial pressure shifts induced by nitroglycerin.
abstract: Experiments on cats treated with nitroglycerin showed dynamic relationship between changes in caval venous flows: blood flow increased in the superior vena cava and decreased in the inferior vena cava. Blood pressure in the right atrium either decreased, or increased. No significant changes in total venous return were observed during maximum shifts in right atrial pressure, while contractility of the right ventricular myocardium usually decreased. Our findings suggest that the direction of the right atrial pressure shifts induced by nitroglycerin does not depend on venous return, but is determined by the prevalence of flow changes in the superior vena cava or inferior vena cava.
authors.affiliation: Department of Visceral System Physiology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, St. Petersburg.
authors.forename: B I
authors.initials: BI
authors.lastname: Tkachenko
authors.forename: V I
authors.initials: VI
authors.lastname: Evlakhov
authors.forename: I Z
authors.initials: IZ
authors.lastname: Poyasov
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016280:Atrial Function, Right / Q000187:drug effects*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002415:Cats; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior / Q000187:drug effects; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D020030:Nitric Oxide Donors; D005996:Nitroglycerin