[3H]-Acetylcholine release from rat atria in chronic chagasic cardiopathy

ABSTRACT

Isolated superfused rat atria release [3H]-acetylcholine when depolarized with 57 mM potassium. The depolarization-induced [3H]-acetylcholine overflow was significantly reduced in atria from chronically T. cruzi-infected rats with electrocardiographically characterized cardiopathy. This fact suggests the occurrence of functional alterations of cardiac parasympathetic control in these animals, probably related to cardiac ganglioma cell destruction