Responses of the three-toed sloth, Bradypus tridactylus, to some commonly used pharmacologic agents. II. Chloralose and reserpine.

1. Chloralose, 50 mg/kg i.v., is a safe effective anesthetic for sloths and reduces incidence of cardiac arrhythmias. 2. However, chloralose blocks baroreflexes and may reduce the sensitivity of beta 1 cardiac receptors. 3. Reserpine, 0.70 mg/kg given i.v. in divided doses, blocks the hypertensive effect of 100 micrograms/kg of tyramine in sloths. 4. Reserpine in this dosage materially reduces arterial pressure and heart rate; these effects last at least 7 days. 5. Reserpine potentiates the hypertensive effects of epinephrine and norepinephrine materially. 6. In sloths reserpine increases cardiac irritability but does not block baroreflexes. 7. As is true with most other drugs sloths are more sensitive to chloralose and reserpine than most common laboratory animals.

The effects of posture changes on blood pressure and heart rate of anesthetized and reserpinized sloths.

1. Tilting sloths anesthetized with chloralose from erect to supine or supine to erect produced little or no effect on heart rate. 2. Tilting anesthetized sloths from erect to supine increased both systolic and diastolic pressures significantly and by about the same amounts. The maximum effect was produced in 20 sec. 3. Pressures stabilized at a higher level than in the erect posture but below the maximum reached in tilting. 4. Tilting these sloths from the supine to the erect posture resulted in a rapid (20 sec) and dramatic fall in pressures to below the initial erect pressure levels. Return to initial erect levels took place slowly. 5. Tilting reserpinized sloths from erect to supine or supine to erect produced little or no effect on heart rate. 6. Tilting reserpinized sloths from erect to supine increased both systolic and diastolic pressures materially and by similar amounts. The maximum effect took 50 sec. 7. Pressures stabilized at higher levels than in the erect posture but less than maximum reached with tilting. 8. Tilting these sloths from supine to erect caused significant falls in pressure to slightly below the initial erect pressure, with maximum effect reached in 30 sec and eventual return to control level. 9. Pressure changes were almost entirely the result of altered venous return. 10. Neither chloralose nor reserpine completely blocked vascular control but reduced it materially.

Responses of the three-toed sloth, Bradypus tridactylus, to some commonly used pharmacologic agents. I. Autonomic drugs.

1. Sloths are very responsive to epinephrine and norepinephrine; i.v. injection of 1 microgram/kg elevates systolic pressure 80 and 90% respectively. 2. Doses as low as 0.01 microgram/kg of epinephrine as well as norepinephrine raise diastolic pressure. 3. Similarity of effects of these catecholamines can be explained on the basis of the low proportion of skeletal muscle (35 vs 45% in most mammals) and a small liver which reduces the proportion of beta 2 dilators to alpha constrictors responding to epinephrine. 4. Slowness of reflexes allows clear separation of early (0-20 sec), direct accelerating heart rate effect (up 15% with 1 microgram/kg of norepinephrine) and later (20-60 sec), reflex bradycardia (down 30% from control level). 5. Sloths are more sensitive to the vasodilating effects of isoproterenol or less sensitive to beta 1 cardiac stimulating effects than most laboratory mammals; doses as low as 0.1 microgram/kg cause a fall in mean arterial pressure not overcome by increased heart rate.