The effect of acute increases in cardiac output on adrenal medullary secretion

Abstract

Summary Opening a large aortocaval fistula results, in the anesthetized dog, in a large increase in cardiac output. Associated with this is an increase in the adrenal medullary secretion rate of epinephrine and norepinephrine. There is no comparable increase if the adrenal gland is acutely denervated before opening the fistula. These findings suggest that an increased adrenal medullary secretion is part of the adaptation to acutely increased cardiac output. The findings also demonstrate that this response is of reflex origin.