Acta physiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Physiol. Scand. · Oct 1997
Effects of scorpion venom on central and peripheral circulatory response in an open-chest dog model.
Scorpion venom can induce in dogs severe haemodynamic changes leading to rapid rise in systemic blood pressure and cardiac output, followed by reduction of cardiac output and blood pressure within 1 h. The decrease in cardiac output is not related to myocardial dysfunction (Tarasiuk et al. 1994). We hypothesized that scorpion venom affects cardiac output by reducing venous return to the heart. ⋯ This study indicates that, in dogs, scorpion venom affects cardiac output by modifying the determinants of venous return. The initial increase in cardiac output is related to increased mean circulatory pressure since resistance to venous return did not change. The later fall in cardiac output is related to the reduction of mean circulatory pressure and increased resistance to venous return.