Abstract
Congestive cardiomyopathy(CCM) of turkeys(TK) results in a 25-30% mortality by 10 days of age in our inbred flock. We examined the effect of oral digoxin(Dig) (0.05 mg/kg/day) on the early mortality, and the effect of IV Dig (0.1 mg/kg) on blood flow (BF) distribution in inbred TK with and without cardiac dilation. Dig reduced mortality from 28.3% (28/99) in untreated CCM TK to 9.2% (6/65) in treated TK (P<0.01). Radionuclide labeled spheres (“15” μm) were used to measure BF during control conditions and again 10 min following IV Dig in 10 TK without (Con) and 9 TK with significant cardiac dilation(CD) at a mean age of 113 days (range 76-167 days). Mean systemic pressure was reduced in CD TK (134±5 (SE) vs 182±13 mmHg, P<0.01). Control values for right and left ventricular(LV), renal, hepatic, pancreatic, intestinal, and skeletal muscle. BF (ml/min/g) in CD TK were similar to values of 1.83±0.27, 3.00±0.30, 2.22±0.17, 1.41±0.23, 2.37±0.38, 2.09±0.24, and 0.47±0.005, resp, in Con TK, P>0.05. Of particular interest, the LV subendo-subepicardial BF ratio was similar in Con and CD TK (1.34±0.04 vs 1.26±0.03). Dig had no effect on total or regional myocardial BF in CD or Con TK; it did significantly reduce renal (-24%, P<0.005), hepatic (-27%, P<0.025) and pancreatic (-32%, P<0.01) BF in Con TK. The results of this study suggest that Dig, by unknown mechanism(s) reduces early mortality in CCM TK; that the transmural distribution of LV flow in 3-4 month TK with cardiac dilation is not altered; and that Dig has no effect on regional BF distribution in myopathic hearts.
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Einzig, S., Noren, G. & Staley, N. 131 EFFECT OF DIGOXIN ON MORTALITY AND ON BLOOD FLOW DISTRIBUTION IN THE CARDIOMYOPATHIC TURKEY. Pediatr Res 15 (Suppl 4), 461 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00140
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-198104001-00140