1. Investigating The Effects Of Caffeine On The 6-Day Chicken Heart Rate
By: Keila Ortiz ,Kaltrina Sylejmani and Dr. Jacqueline McLaughlin
The Pennsylvania State University, Berks/Lehigh Valley College, Fogelsville, PA 18051

2. Physiology of the Chicken Heart
The chicken heart has chambers
- a right atrium and ventricle
- left atrium and ventricle
Its body temperature is ˚C
Pulse Rate of an adult chicken is as high as 400 beats/min.

3. Caffeine Background
Caffeine is a trimethylaxanthine and directly affects the contractility of the heart and blood vessels.
Stimulates the central nervous system.
Stimulant that enhances and prolongs thermogenesis (heat creation) .

4. www. chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/molecules/caff.html
Caffeine Formula
www. chem.purdue.edu/gchelp/molecules/caff.html

5. www.garynull.com/Documents/CaffeineEffects.htm >.
Caffeine Molecule
It belongs to a group of chemicals called xanthines
It resembles the molecule adenosine
It is necessary for the construction and maintenance of DNA.
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6. Calcium Blockers and the Electrophysiology of the Heart
Calcium channel blockers are used to regulate heart beat and lower the blood pressure.
Calcium blockers are used in the treatment of heart failure because they reduce peripheral resistance and expand arteries.
The main kinds of calcium blockers are as following: diltiazem, nicardipine, nifedipine, verapamil, amlodipine besylate.
They are used to treat chest pain or to manage hypertension.
Caffeine has shown to increase the intracellular calcium by promoting its release from the endoplasmic reticulum and by facilitating its influx through “Slow Channels” in the cell membrane.

7. www.hon.ch/HONselect/Selection/ C14.280.067.html
Effects of Caffeine
Affects the neurotransmission in the central and peripheral nervous system causing cardiac arrhythmias
Can increase the heartbeat
Increases the risk of spontaneous abortion and retardation
It also affects the change in the electrophysiology of the human heart
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8. Advantages of Caffeine
Makes people more alert
Less drowsy
Improves coordination
Helps relive headaches
Caffeine consumption helps the memory and reduces the incidence of Parkinson's disease

9. Purpose
Different caffeine concentrations, 0.002%,0.02%, and 0.2%, were added to the in vitro chicken heart. It was hypothesized that the chicken heart rate (BPM) would respond in such a way that various arrhythmias would be noted, specially sporatic episodes of tachycardia and bradycardia due to increasing concentrations of this drug.

10. Materials and Methods Prepared stock solutions of caffeine:
“Window” an egg
-Modified from Cruz, 1993:
a. Pick up an egg from the incubator.
b. Place scotch tape on top of the egg .
c. With the tip of the scissors, puncture the side of the egg
d. Cut out the part of the egg covered with scotch tape and use forceps to remove the top shell of the egg.
e. IMMEDIATELY determine the in vivo HR, five times and record it.
6-day chicken heart

11. Materials and Methods Continued……
“Explanting” the embryo
-Modified from Cruz, 1993:
a. Gently position a filter paper doughnut on top of the vitelline envelope.
b. Fill a small dish with saline and place it on the stage of your dissecting microscope.
c. Quickly transfer the explant to the small dish with warmed saline.
f. Record the in vitro HR five times.

12. Materials and Methods Continued………
Application of Caffeine
a. Using a plastic pipette apply 0.002% of caffeine in the in vitro embryo and let it sit for 30 seconds. After sitting for 30 seconds record its HR five times.
b. Using a plastic pipette at all times, apply 0.02% of caffeine to the in vitro embryo, let it sit for 30 seconds and record its HR five times.
c. Repeat same strategies as
in step a and b but this time adding 0.2% of caffeine.
6-day chicken embryo

13. Control
The in vivo and in vitro HR of the 6-day Chicken embryo without exposure to caffeine.
6-day Chicken Embryo

14. Data Interpretation
A stereoscopic microscope was used to observe both in vivo and in vitro 6-day chicken HR’s.
Histograms were constructed to plot data. When adding different concentrations of caffeine cardiac arrhythmias were noted such as bradycardia and tachycardia.

15. Embryo’s In Vitro HR

16. Embryo’s In Vivo HR

17. 0.002% Caffeine Concentration

18. 0.02% Caffeine Concentration

19. 0.2% Caffeine Concentration

20. Averages of In Vivo and In vitro HR

21. Averages of Different Caffeine Concentrations

22. Conclusion
Since the in vitro chicken heart experienced more arrhythmias as the concentrations of caffeine increased, the proposed hypothesis was then supported.

23. Future Experiments
For a future experiment, it would be interesting to take a 1- day egg, carefully remove a piece of shell, then using a syringe apply half a mL of caffeine (0.2%, 0.02%, 0.002%) to the chorionic membrane. After 21 days wherein the chicken is fully developed, see if the concentrations applied caused any abnormalities in the developed chicken heart.

24. Any Questions…………?

25. References
1. Morgan, J.G. and Brown Carter, M.E., Investigating Biology,
Fourth Edition.
San Francisco: Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co., Inc.
2002.
2. Skinner. B, Braun. N, Caffeine and chick hearts. 2 Aug
12 Feb <
3. Caffeine. 5 Mar Feb. 2004
<
4. Cruz, Y. P Laboratory exercises in developmental
biology. Academic Press, San Diego, California, 241 pages.
[ISBN ] [Book]
5. Groski, Dawn , and Janet Sinn-Hanlon. Chickscope. 22 Mar.
2004
6. Null M.S, Gary, and Bulton Sanford Ph.D. Caffeine: Psychological Effects,
Use & Abuse. 3 Nov Orthomolecular Psychiatry. 15 Mar < >.
7. McCain, Dr. Elizabeth E., and Dr. Jacqueline Mclaughlin. Developmental and Physiological Aspects of the Chicken Embryonic Heart. 18 Mar Copyright. 15 Mar <