Date of Award
5-1968
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Medical
First Advisor
Harold F. Hardman
Second Advisor
Bert K.B. Lum
Third Advisor
Deane N. Calvert
Fourth Advisor
Joseph J. Barboriak
Fifth Advisor
Alvin F. Rieck
Abstract
There have been numerous reports in the literature describing the relationship between pH changes and catecholamine induced inotropic stimulation of cardiac muscle. Despite the extensive literature on this subject, very little is known about the basic mechanisms involved in the relationship between pH and activation or blockade of the cardiac beta adrenergic receptor subserving inotropic stimulation. This thesis explores the relationship between pH and the interaction of drugs with the cardiac inotropic receptor.
A basic contribution to the analysis of pharmacological activity was made by Albert (1952) who emphasized the importance of drug ionization as a determinant of biological activity. Methods for analyzing the effects of drug ionization upon cardiac muscle activity were subsequently reported by Hartman et al. (1959) and Baird and Hardman (1961). These methods served as prototypes for some of the experimental designs employed in this thesis.
The subject of species variation in the sensitivity of turtle hearts to epinephrine inotropic stimulation and the seasonal variation of this response has also been investigated.