Metabolic Studies on Cardiac Tissue Obtained by Needle Biopsy in the Intact Unanesthetized Dog

Abstract

This paper describes the use of needle biopsy of the heart as a method of obtaining specimens of cardiac muscle for biochemical study in the intact Unanesthetized dog. The procedure is simple and may be repeated many times. Studies indicate that tissue obtained by this method resembles conventional heart slices in its behavior in vitro. Included are data on respiration and the effect of digitalis on cardiac glycogen stores.