Abstract
Summary
The effect of nicotine administration on regional myocardial blood flow was examined in normal hearts and after partial coronary artery occlusion. Under normal circumstances as well as after infusion of nicotine in normal hearts the subendocardial portion of the myocardium had a higher capillary flow than the subepicardial fraction. Partial coronary artery constriction alone did not alter this relationship; however, when it was followed by infusion of nicotine, a significant reduction in capillary flow in the inner portion of the myocardium compared to the outer part was observed.
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