Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Physiology

An actively controlled heart valve

  • Brief Communication
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

Vertebrate hearts typically have cardiac valves that are thin and leaf-like and which work passively, allowing blood to move forward during systole and preventing it from flowing back during diastole. Crocodilian hearts have nodules of connective tissue, resembling opposing knuckles, or cog-teeth1,2,3, in the subpulmonary conus just proximal to the pulmonary valves. Here we show that these cog-teeth act in the estuarine crocodile Crocodylus porosus (Fig. 1) as a valve that regulates the flow of blood between the lungs and the systemic circulation in response to a β-adrenergic mechanism. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an actively controlled intra-cardiac valve in a vertebrate.

FRANK LANE PICTURE AGENCY/CORBIS

The estuarine crocodile Crocodylus porosus has an unusual valve inside its heart that can shunt blood away from the lungs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 2: The ‘cog-teeth’ valve inside the heart of crocodilians and the flow and resistance from a perfused Crocodylus porosus heart preparation6.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. van Mierop, L. H. S. & Kutsche, L. M. in Cardiovascular Shunts: Phylogenetic, Ontogenetic and Clinical Aspects (Munksgaard, Copenhagen, 1985).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Webb, G. J. W. J. Morphol. 161, 221–240 (1979).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Axelsson, M., Franklin, C. E., Löfman, C. O., Nilsson, S. & Grigg, G. C. J. Exp. Biol. 199, 359–365 (1996).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Grigg, G. C. & Johansen, K. J. Comp. Physiol. 157 , 381–392 (1987).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Shelton, G. & Jones, D. R. J. Exp. Biol. 158, 539–564 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Franklin, C. E. & Axelsson, M. J. Exp. Biol. 186, 269–288 ( 1994).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Axelsson, M., Nilsson, S. & Holm, S. Am. J. Physiol. 256, R875– R879 (1989).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Malvin, G. M., Hicks, J. W. & Green, R. E. Am. J. Physiol. 269, R1133 –R1139 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. White, F. Copeia 3, 567–570 ( 1969).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Greenfield, L. J. & Morrow, A. G. J. Surg. Res. 1, 97–103 ( 1961).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. White, F. N. Am. Zool. 8, 211–219 ( 1968).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Jones, D. R. & Shelton, G. J. Exp. Biol. 176, 247–269 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Entomology University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Queensland, Australia

    Craig E. Franklin

  2. Department of Zoophysiology, University of Göteborg, PO Box 463, Göteborg, 405 30, Sweden

    Michael Axelsson

Authors
  1. Craig E. Franklin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Michael Axelsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Craig E. Franklin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Franklin, C., Axelsson, M. An actively controlled heart valve. Nature 406, 847–848 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/35022652

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/35022652

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation