Cerebral Structures Responsible for the Formation of Autonomic Reflexes Related to Realization of Motivated Operant Movements by Rats

1. The effect on plasma renin activity (PRA) of dopamine and noradrenaline infusions was studied in three patients with Shy—Drager syndrome, three patients with Parkinson's disease and normal autonomic reflexes, and three healthy volunteers. The patients with the Shy—Drager syndrome had functional evidence of a peripheral lesion of the sympathetic nervous system and subnormal PRA on a controlled sodium intake. 2. In all subjects catecholamines were infused step-wise for 4 min until a 30% rise in systolic blood pressure occurred. 3. In each subject, PRA fell after noradrenaline but rose after dopamine. The mean fractional increase in PRA after dopamine was no less in the Shy—Drager patients than in the control groups. 4. The results suggest, first, that stimulation of dopamine receptors can release renin, and secondly, that inadequate renin stores cannot explain the low PRA found in our patients with autonomic failure.

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Plasma Renin in Idiopathic Orthostatic Hypotension: Differential Response in Subjects with Probable Afferent and Efferent Autonomic Failure

Clinical Science ◽

10.1042/cs0410289 ◽

1971 ◽

Vol 41 (4) ◽

pp. 289-299 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

D. R. Love ◽

J. J. Brown ◽

R. H. Chinn ◽

R. H. Johnson ◽

A. F. Lever ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Orthostatic Hypotension ◽

Autonomic Function ◽

Autonomic Failure ◽

Plasma Renin ◽

Sympathetic Block ◽

Baroreceptor Reflexes ◽

Idiopathic Orthostatic Hypotension ◽

Autonomic Reflexes ◽

Efferent Pathways ◽

Venous Plasma

1. The changes of peripheral venous plasma renin concentration (PRC) induced by head-up tilting were studied in four patients with orthostatic hypotension. 2. Two of the patients had the Holmes—Adie syndrome and tests of autonomic function suggested that they had an afferent block from baroreceptors with intact efferent pathways; the others had no evidence of the Holmes—Adie syndrome and investigations suggested that they had interruption of efferent sympathetic pathways. 3. In the two patients in whom lesions of the afferent side of baroreceptor reflexes were suspected, a marked increase in PRC occurred with upright tilting, whereas no change in PRC occurred in the two patients thought to have an efferent sympathetic block. 4. During repeated tilting, supine blood pressure and PRC increased progressively in the two patients with suspected afferent block, but not in the two patients with suspected efferent block. 5. It is suggested that an increase in plasma renin may contribute to the supine hypertension sometimes observed in patients with orthostatic hypotension. 6. It is also suggested that renin release does not require intact autonomic reflexes although certain components of efferent sympathetic pathways, not dependent on baroreceptor reflexes, may be important.

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Dopamine uptake in serotoninergic terminals in vitro: A valuable tool for the histochemical differentiation of catecholaminergic and serotoninergic terminals in rat cerebral structures

Brain Research ◽

10.1016/0006-8993(78)90770-9 ◽

1978 ◽

Vol 147 (1) ◽

pp. 29-45 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

Brigitte Berger ◽

Jacques Glowinski

Keyword(s):

Dopamine Uptake ◽

Cerebral Structures

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Modulation of Neurocardiac Function by Oesophageal Stimulation in Humans

Clinical Science ◽

10.1042/cs0920167 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 92 (2) ◽

pp. 167-174 ◽

Cited By ~ 42

Author(s):

Gervais Tougas ◽

Markad Kamath ◽

Geena Watteel ◽

Debbie Fitzpatrick ◽

Ernest L. Fallen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Power Spectrum ◽

High Frequency ◽

Low Frequency ◽

Sensory Stimulation ◽

Sensory Stimuli ◽

Autonomic Reflexes ◽

Low Frequency Power ◽

Beat Heart

1. The heart and the oesophagus have similar sensory pathways, and sensations originating from the oesophagus are often difficult to differentiate from those of cardiac origin. We hypothesized that oesophageal sensory stimuli could alter neurocardiac function through autonomic reflexes elicited by these oesophageal stimuli. In the present study, we examined the neurocardiac response to oesophageal stimulation and the effects of electrical and mechanical oesophageal stimulation on the power spectrum of beat-to-beat heart rate variability in male volunteers. 2. In 14 healthy volunteers, beat-to-beat heart rate variability was compared at rest and during oesophageal stimulation, using either electrical (200 μs, 16 mA, 0.2 Hz) or mechanical (0.5 s, 14 ml, 0.2 Hz) stimuli. The power spectrum of beat-to-beat heart rate variability was obtained and its low- and high-frequency components were determined. 3. Distal oesophageal stimulation decreased heart rate slightly (both electrical and mechanical) (P < 0.005), and markedly altered heart rate variability (P < 0.001). Both electrical and mechanical oesophageal stimulation increased the absolute and normalized area of the high-frequency band within the power spectrum (P < 0.001), while simultaneously decreasing the low-frequency power (P < 0.005). 4. In humans, oesophageal stimulation, whether electrical or mechanical, appears to amplify respiratory-driven cardiac vagoafferent modulation while decreasing sympathetic modulation. The technique provides access to vagoafferent fibres and thus may yield useful information on the autonomic effects of visceral or oesophageal sensory stimulation.

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