Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia: A Potential Indicator of Cholinergic Toxicosis in Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta).

摘要

The vagal tone monitor (VTM) is being studied as a noninvasive tool for detecting organophosphate exposures and monitoring anticholinergic therapies. This study evaluated the VTM responses of rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) after intramuscular injections of atropine sulfate, pyridostigmine bromide, physostigmine salicylate, and combinations of atropine and pyridostigmine. The VTM analyses of the electrocardiogram data yielded heart period (HP), heart period variance (HPV), and the estimate of vagal tone (V). Statistical analyses indicated that HP was more sensitive to pyridostigmine than to physostigmine, while V responded more to physostigmine and atropine than to pyridostigmine. Keywords: Anticholinergics; Anticholinesterase; Atropine sulfate; Carbamates; Electrocardiogram; Heart rate; Heart period; Heart period variance; Physostigmine; Pyridostigmine; Respiratory sinus arrhythmia; Rhesus monkeys; Vagal tone.