Waynef2010

Frog Heart Physiology

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I. Purpose: This exercise is designed to familiarize the student with the electrical and physical
characteristics of cardiac muscle using the frog heart.

II. Performance Objectives: At the end of this exercise the student should be able to:

1. Define chronotropic, inotropic, myogenic, agonist, and antagonists.

2. Define Q10 and describe the effects of temperature on heart rate.

3. Describe and explain the effects of acetylcholine, atropine sulfate, epinephrine, digitalis,
calcium ions, potassium ions, and sodium ions on the frog heart.

4. Draw a diagram of the laboratory setup used in this experiment.

5. Explain the results of your efforts to calculate the refractory period in the frog heart

6. Answer all questions that are asked in this lab exercise.

III. Introduction.

The heart of the frog has three chambers, one ventricle and two atria. Blood leaves the heart
from the ventricle through a single truncus arteriosus which is short and soon branches into two aortic
arches which loop left and right and dorsal to the heart to rejoin as a single aorta in the mid dorsal
region of the body cavity. Each aortic arch has a branch leading to the lungs and skin where
oxygenation occurs. Carotid arteries also branch off the aortic arches and supply the head region. Veins
bring blood to the left and right atria. Both atria then empty into the single ventricle. Blood from the
ventricle thus enters either the pulmonary or body circulation.

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Because there is only a single ventricle there is some mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated
blood. Ventricular folds prevent a complete mixing of the arterial and venous blood.

Excitation of the frog heart is myogenic, that is, contraction of the heart originates within the
muscle itself. In Amphibians, such as the frog, the pacemaker is the sinus venosus, an enlarged region
between the vena cava and the right atrium. The cells of the pacemaker are termed “leaky”, meaning
that calcium and sodium ions leak into the cells. Leaking of positive ions causes a slow depolarization
to threshold, thus initiating an action potential that quickly spreads throughout the muscle. The atria
are very conductive, and the action potential spreads readily across these two chambers. The major
route for the transmission of action potentials from the SA node to the ventricle(s) is by way of a set of
modified conductive muscle cells that compose the bundle of His embedded in the septum separating
the two atria. In animals with a four-chambered heart, it continues through the septum separating the
two ventricles.

The cells that are most leaky to calcium and sodium initiate action potentials more frequently
and set the rate of contraction for entire heart structure. Each region of the heart has its own intrinsic
rate of beating.

Nervous control of the heart is primarily regulated by medulla and the heart is innervated by
both sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve fibers that terminate at the SA node. The neurotransmitters
released by these nerves affect both heart rate (chronotropic effects; chronos = time) and the strength of
contraction (inotropic effects), by influencing the timing and magnitude of ion currents across the cell
membrane.

The vagus nerves contain parasympathetic cholinergic neurons that release acetylcholine at their
terminals. This neurotransmitter binds with muscarinic receptors and initiates many effects, including a
cascade that increases the number of K+ channels in the open position; thus keeping the membrane near
the equilibrium potential for K+ and making depolarization more difficult.

The sympathetic cardiac nerves contain adrenergic neurons that release epinephrine or
norepinephrine, depending on the species. (Amphibians release both of these neurotransmitters.)
These neurotransmitters bind beta1 adrenergic receptors at both the SA node and in the myocardium.
This binding can cause a variety of effects, including an increased inward flux of Ca++ into the cell.

The function of the muscarinic and adrenergic receptors in the heart can be revealed by
examining how the heart responds when these receptors are activated or inactivated. Compounds that
activate a receptor are called agonists, while compounds that inactivate receptors by binding to it are
called antagonists.

In this lab the chronotropic and inotropic effects of two agonists, epinephrine and acetylcholine
along with atropine, digitalis and various ions will be studied. Chronotropic effects of temperature on
the rate of contraction will also be observed by measuring Q10. The Q10 is the factor by which the rate
increases when the temperature is raised by ten degrees.

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CAUTION: Some of the chemicals and drugs used in this experiment can
be dangerous if they get on the skin or in the mouth.
IV. Preparation of the Frog
Follow the directions in the frog heart movie on line and the step below:

1. Obtain a double-pithed the frog

2. Place the frog on its dorsal surface.

3. Using the sharp end of a pair of blunt/sharp scissors make a small penetration into the
abdominal cavity of the frog just below the sternum.

3. Carefully cut abdominal wall with a pair of scissors and cut towards the sternum. Lift
the scissor as you cut to prevent cutting of the heart bloods vessels or other internal
organs.

4. Cut through the pectoral girdle to expose the heart in the pericardial sac.

5. Carefully remove the pericardial sac.

6. Cut any connective tissue attachments (not the vessels around the atria) so that the
heart beats freely.

7. Using forceps to grasp the apex of the ventricle and push the point of the ‘J’-hook into
the apex of the ventricle. Push the hook through the ventricle wall until the bend of the
hook is inside the muscle of the apex of the heart.

8. Connect the thread from the frog heart to the blade of the force transducer. Use a
square knot and tie it twice to make sure it won’t come loose when the heart contracts.

9. Position the transducer and frog so the thread from the heart is vertical. If it is pulling at
an angle much of the contraction of the frog heart will not be observed.

10. Don't worry about the stand height or thread tension at this point. Cut any additional
thread so it won't get in the way of the transducer

11. Periodically moisten the frog’s heart with 2 – 3 drops of frog Ringers.

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V. iWorx Heart Physiology setup (If the equipment is already set up go to VI)
1. Click on the LabScribe shortcut on the computer’s desktop to open the program.

2. On the Main window, pull down the Settings menu and select Load Group.

3. Locate the folder that contains the settings group, IPLMv4.iwxgrp. Select this group
and click Open.

4. Pull down the Settings menu again. Select the Skeletal Muscle-Summation-Tetanus-
LS2 settings file.

5. After a short time, LabScribe will appear on the computer screen as configured by the
Skeletal Muscle-Summation-Tetanus-LS2 settings.

VI. Experiments in Frog Heart Physiology

A. Activity: Baseline Frog Heart Activity (Control). You will need a baseline or beginning
heart rate and contraction force (V2 – V1) before the application of each chemical or drug.

Note:
As you go through this lab exercise you will continually be asked to do the following:

A. Type Resting in the Mark box to the right of the Mark button.

B. Click the Record button and press the Enter key on the keyboard to attach comments
to the record.

If you would like to mark each trace and analyze your data later, use the steps listed above. If
collect the data as you go, these steps are not necessary.

Procedure:

1. Click Record and you should see a rhythmic deflection of the trace indicating that you
are recording the beats of the frog’s heart. If not, try clicking Autoscale. If you still
do not see a clear deflection or if the deflection is very slight, increase the tension on the
thread by raising the transducer a little higher on the ring stand. Click Edit and select
Preferences. Set the display time for 30 seconds. This will allow you to obtain 30
seconds of heart activity.

2. Type “baseline” in the Mark area and press Enter on the keyboard and allow the
program to run about 30 sec.

3. Click Stop.

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4. Use the Mark icon or scroll to the appropriate section of your data using the arrow
beneath the data screen.

5. Make measurements of heartbeats about every 10 seconds after each application of ion
or drug application in the following manner:

a. Select the double cursor icon.

b. Move the mouse to place the pointer on one cursor, click the mouse, holding
down the button, and drag it to the peak of a wave, then release the button

c. Repeat with the second cursor by dragging it to the peak of the next wave and
obtain the value for T2-T1 in the top right corner of the screen, next to the
record button. This is the time interval between the two points selected.

d. calculate heart rate with the following formula rate(beats/minute) =

60 ÷ duration of cardiac cycle (time it takes for heart to complete one beat).
values) and record this value on the table on your data sheet

e. Then drag the second cursor to the trough next to the peak and read the value in
volts in the frog heart channel title area near the top right of the screen; this
represents the amount of contraction

f. Record this value in the table on your data sheet

g. Moisten the heart with frog Ringers solution frequently.

h. Record your baseline heart rate and amount of contraction on the line
below.

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B. Activity: Effects of Temperature (all groups)

1. You will be flooding the frog heart with frog ringers at the following temperatures:
4º, 14º, 24º, and 34º; begin with the coldest solution and proceed in order of increasing
temperature.

2. Flood the heart with each temperature frog Ringers long enough to allow the heart to
attain a constant rate (1 -2 minutes)

3. You can measure the heart rate on the iworx station 60/ T2 – T1 as described below.

Using iWorx:

a. Click Record and you should see a rhythmic deflection of the trace, if not, also
press autoscale. Use of the double mountain icon may also be helpful. It will
put more data on the screen. Sometimes the data is so spread out that you can’t
recognize any deflection.

b. Type “4º Ringer’s” in the “marks” area; slowly apply drops of frog Ringer’s
solution (at ~4º temperature) to the heart for 1 minute using a disposable pipette
and press Record.

c. After about 60 seconds press <stop> and record your results.

d. Type “14º Ringers” on the keyboard; and slowly apply drops of 14º Ringers to
the heart and press Record.

e. After about 60 seconds press <stop> and record your results.

f. Type “24º Ringers” on the keyboard; and slowly apply drops of 24º Ringers to
the heart and press Record.

g. After about 60 seconds press <stop> and record your results.

h. Wait about 1 minute or until the heart seems to have recovered, that is,the
amplitude and rate have returned to as close to resting as possible

i. Type “34º Ringers” on the keyboard; and slowly apply drops of 34º Ringers to
the heart and press Record.

j. After about 60 seconds press <stop> and record your results..

k. Use the <Marks> icon or scroll to the appropriate section of your data using the
arrow beneath the data screen.
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l. Make measurements of heartbeats at the end of each treatment.

i. Move the mouse to place the pointer on one cursor, click the mouse,
holding down the button, and drag it to the peak of a wave, then release
the button

ii. Repeat with the second cursor by dragging it to the peak of the next wave
and reading T2-T1 in the top right corner of the screen; this is the time
interval or duration of a heart beat.

iii. Calculate heart rate with the following formula rate (beats/minute) =
60 ÷ duration of cardiac cycle (time it takes for heart to complete one
and record this value on the table on your data sheet

iv. Then drag the second cursor to the next trough next to the peak. Locate
the value in volts that is in the channel title area near the top right of
the screen; this represents the amount of contraction.

v. Record this value in the table on your data sheet

5. Calculate the Temperature Coefficient for Frog Heartbeat:

An increase in temperature, within a narrow range, speeds up the rate of chemical

reactions. The temperature coefficient, Q10-coefficient is an expression of how much
the speed of the process increases with a temperature increment of 10 º C.

Q10 = Heart Rate at new Temperature

Heart Rate at starting Temperature (T)

a. Use the formula above to calculate the Q10 at each temperature interval

b. Record your values on the table on your data sheet

c. Make a graph of Q10 versus Temperature. Insert the graph in the Data section
at the end of your lab.

C. Inotropic and chronotropic effects of various drugs

1. Use the same procedure above to test the effects of various chemicals on the heart beat:

2. The class will be divided into the following groups. Each group will only work with the
chemicals in either a, b, or c. A chart will be made on the chalkboard in order to make
the data available to everyone.

a. Acetylcholine Epinephrine
b. Calcium ions Potassium Ions Sodium Ions
c. Atropine Sulfate Digitalis

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3. Obtain a baseline heart rate (Activity A) and amplitude before the addition of the drugs
or chemicals.

4. Type the name of the chemical you are testing in the “marks” area; slowly apply ten
drops of the chemical you are testing onto the heart and press <Record>on the Keyboard

5. Add about 5 drops of each test treatment and after about 60 seconds Click <Stop>

6. Between drug applications, flush the heart with frog Ringer’s solution several times
for 3 – 5 minutes.. Suction the excess fluid with a plastic pipet and or use a piece of
paper towel to draw off the excess frog Ringer solution to insure the removal of the
solutions used previously.

7. Repeat this procedure for each of the chemicals you are testing.

8. Use the <Marks> icon or scroll to the appropriate section of your data using the arrow
beneath the data screen.

9. Make measurements of heartbeats at the end of the data collection period:

a. Move the mouse to place the pointer on one cursor, click the mouse, holding
down the button, and drag it to the peak of a wave, then release the button

b. Repeat with the second cursor by dragging it to the peak of the next wave and
reading T2-T1 in the top right corner of the screen; this is the time interval

c. Calculate heart rate with the following formula rate(beats/minute) =

60 ÷ duration of cardiac cycle (time it takes for heart to complete one
and record this value on the table on your data sheet

d. Then drag the second cursor to the next trough next to the peak and read the
value in volts. This represents the amount of contraction. Ignore any negative
signs and use the absolute value.

e. Record this value in the table on your data sheet

Graphing your Results:

1. Plot the data for each set of experiments (temperature and chemical treatments) on a
bar graph. For each of the experiments, make one bar graph showing the heart rate with
different treatments; make another bar graph comparing the amount of contraction with
different treatments compared to the control. Place the graphs in the indicated areas in
the data section at the end of the lab.

D. Activity: Investigating the Refractory Period of Cardiac Muscle

1. Select <Preferences> from the <Edit> menu and click <stimulator> to display
the stimulator panel
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2. Click <low voltage> and enter the following parameters if not already set:

Pulse Width = 10 ms
Delay = 50ms
Amplitude = 5 Volts
Frequency = 1 Hz
Number of Pulses = 30
This will produce a stimulus train of 30 pulses each four volts in
amplitude and 10 ms in duration at a frequency of 1 per second.

3. Close the stimulator screen

4. Position the stimulating electrode so that both prongs touch the heart. It will be difficult
to adjust the clamp to hold the stimulating electrode in position. It will probably be
necessary to remove the electrode from the clamp and hand hold in the position as
shown below.

4. Type “refractory” and press <Record>on the keyboard

5. A rhythmic deflection of the trace should be visible, if not press <Autoscale> and or the
double mountain icon.

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6. After about 10 seconds click <Stop> and examine your recording. Look for extra
ventricle beats (See Figure 4). If you see no difference in the heart wave profile try
each or both of the following:

Decrease stimulus frequency by tenths of a Hz (e.g. try .9 Hz)

Increase voltage amplitude if possible (Maximum possible is 5 volts)
and repeat steps 8, 9 and 10

7. Once you have generated an extra ventricular beat select <save> in the <file> menu. (If
you have not successfully generated an extra ventricular beat, note that fact on your data
sheet and skip to the next activity).

8. Scroll to the appropriate section of data.

9. Locate region with an extra ventricular contraction (Fig 4)

10. Click the two cursor icon (Fig 4) so that two blue vertical lines appear over the
recording window.

11. Use the mouse to drag a cursor to the peak of the last normal ventricular contraction
before the extra contraction

12. Repeat with the second cursor by dragging it to the peak of the extra ventricular
contraction and release the mouse button

12. Read and record T2-T1 in the upper right corner of the screen; this is an estimate of the
refractory period of the frog cardiac muscle and enter this time on the line below.

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E. Activity: Demonstrating the Intrinsic heart rate:

1. When you have completed all your experiments with the frog heart, use scissors to
remove the heart from the frog and place it in a small Petri dish containing frog ringers
solution.

2. Use a watch or timer to count the beats per minute. This is the intrinsic heart rate.
Record this value on your data sheet.

VI. Completing Your Report

1. Complete the information requested on your data sheet

2. You should have recorded average heart rates for the control and each treatment in the
table provided

3. You should have graphed the results for the change in heart rate and change in
contraction volts for each experiment where it was required.

Cleanup:

Place the frog in the plastic bag and discard in the trash

Do NOT discard the “J” hooks, clean, dry and return them to your tray

Clean and dry your dissecting tools and return them to your tray

Turn off the iWorx station

Drag your saved file to the recycling bin

Shut down you computer in the proper manner.

Clean the table

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Frog Heart Physiology Data

Record the data from the results of your experiments drugs and chemicals on the table at the end of the
lab.. Plot the heart rate values for baseline and for each treatment on a bar graph. Paste the graph
below.

Plot the amplitude (amount of contraction) values for baseline and for each treatment on a bar graph.
Paste the graph below.

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4. Describe the effect that each chemical you tested had on the frog heart rate and amplitude
compared to the control (your baseline rate) and explain any discrepancies from what you expected
(what was the specific cause of any change in heart rate):

Acetylcholine:

Atropine Sulfate:

Epinephrine:

Digitalis:

Calcium Ions:

Sodium Ions:

Potassium Ions:

2. Make a graph of Q10 versus Temperature and paste it below.

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1. How did temperature, effect the heart rate? Explain.

2. How did your average temperature coefficient compare with others in the class? Was the value
fairly constant or did it change with increasing temperature? Explain.

3. Were you able to calculate the refractory period in the frog heart? Why or why not?

4. What is the intrinsic heart rate of your frog’s heart?__________

5. What is the explanation of this effect?

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Treatment Heart Rate V2 – V1 Q10

(contraction strength)
4º Ringers

14º Ringers

24º Ringers

34º Ringers

Group A

Baseline

Acetylcholine

Epinephrine
Group B

Baseline

Calcium

Potassium

Sodium
Group C

Baseline

Atropine

Digitalis

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