A study of the physiological consequences of sympathetic denervation of the heart caused by the arterial switch procedure

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Falkenberg ◽  
Stefan Hallhagen ◽  
Krister Nilsson ◽  
Boris Nilsson ◽  
Ingegerd Östman-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Coronary Flow ◽  
Arterial Switch Operation ◽  
Sympathetic Nerves ◽  
Heart Weight ◽  
Maximal Heart Rate ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Arterial Switch

AbstractBackgroundThe arterial switch operation is the corrective operation for transposition of the great arteries, defined as the combination of concordant atrioventricular and discordant ventriculo–arterial connections, but there have been concerns about silent subendocardial ischaemia on exercise and coronary artery growth. The arterial switch divides the majority of the sympathetic nerves entering the heart; we have studied the effects of coronary flow and sensitivity to catecholamine stimulation in an animal model.MethodsA total of 10 piglets were operated on cardiopulmonary bypass with section and resuturing of aortic trunk, pulmonary artery and both coronary arteries, with 13 sham-operated controls. After 5–7 weeks of recovery, seven simulated switch survivors and 13 controls were studied.ResultsBasal heart rate was significantly higher in switch piglets: in vivo mean (standard deviation) 112 (12) versus sham 100 (10) beats per minute, (p = 0.042); in vitro (Langendorff preparation): 89 (9) versus sham 73 (8) beats per minute (p = 0.0056). In vivo maximal heart rate in response to epinephrine was increased in switch piglets, 209 (13) versus 190 (17) beats per minute (p = 0.044). In vitro dose–response curves to norepinephrine were shifted leftward and upwards (p = 0.0014), with an 80% increase in heart rate induced by 0.095 (0.053) norepinephrine micromole per litre perfusate in switch hearts versus 0.180 (0.035) norepinephrine micromole per litre (p = 0.023). Increase in coronary flow on norepinephrine stimulation and maximal coronary flow were significantly reduced in switch hearts: 0.3 (0.2) versus 0.8 (0.4) millilitre per gram heart weight (p = 0.045) and 2.5 (0.4) versus 3.1 (0.4) millilitre per gram heart (p = 0.030), respectively.ConclusionsA combination of increased intrinsic heart rate, increased sensitivity to chronotropic actions of norepinephrine, and a decreased maximal coronary flow creates potential for a mismatch between perfusion and energy demands.

Effect of Acetaldehyde on the Isolated, Non-working Guinea-Pig Heart: Independence of the Coronary Flow Increase from Changes in Heart Rate and Oxygen Consumption

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 602-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minh-Hau Nguyen ◽  
L. Gailis
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Oxygen Consumption ◽  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Gas Phase ◽  
Coronary Flow ◽  
Constant Pressure ◽  
Guinea Pig Heart ◽  
Bicarbonate Buffer

Guinea-pig hearts were perfused at constant pressure with Krehs–Henseleit bicarbonate buffer equilibrated with 95% O2 – 5% CO2. Acetaldehyde at 1 and 5 mM increased coronary flow, oxygen consumption, and heart rate. At 0.2 mM, it increased coronary flow and oxygen consumption only. In the rapidly paced heart, 1 mM acetaldehyde increased coronary flow, but not heart rate or oxygen consumption. Acetaldehyde increased coronary flow and oxygen consumption of the potassium-arrested heart. Acetaldehyde increased all parameters of the hypoxic heart (25% O2 gas phase), but the anoxic heart was not affected (coronary flow was already maximal).Reserpine (in vivo) and catecholamine β blockers (dichloroisoproterenol and propranolol) (in vitro) blocked the heart rate increases and moderated the rise in oxygen consumption. Dichloroisoproterenol plus phentolamine blocked the increases of both heart rate and oxygen consumption. None of the compounds affected the increase of coronary flow produced by acetaldehyde. Epinephrine, norepinephrine, and tyramine increased the heart rate and oxygen consumption, but not the coronary flow. Theophylline increased all three parameters. Neither tranylcypromine nor atropine modified the acetaldehyde effect. We conclude that the increase in heart rate is mediated by catecholamine β receptors. The increase in coronary flow is independent of the increase in heart rate or oxygen consumption and is not mediated by catecholamines.

The importance of nervous and humoral mechanisms in the control of cardiac performance in the Atlantic cod Gadus morhua at rest and during non-exhaustive exercise

1988 ◽  
Vol 137 (1) ◽  
pp. 287-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Axelsson
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Cardiac Output ◽  
Stroke Volume ◽  
Gadus Morhua ◽  
Positive Inotropic Effect ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Inotropic Effect ◽  
Response Curves

The nervous regulation of heart rate and stroke volume in the Atlantic cod Gadus morhua was investigated both in vivo, during rest and exercise, and in vitro. The cholinergic and adrenergic influences on the heart were estimated in experiments with injections of atropine and sotalol. At rest the cholinergic and adrenergic tonus on the heart were 38% and 21%, respectively (ratio 1.81:1). At the end of an exercise period, the cholinergic tonus had decreased to 15% but the adrenergic tonus had increased to 28% (ratio 0.54:1). The results suggest that variation of the cholinergic tonus on the heart is a major factor in the regulation of the heart rate. In one group of fish, cardiac output was also measured, allowing calculation of stroke volume. Cardiac output increased significantly during exercise, and this effect persisted in the presence of both atropine and sotalol, although the increase in heart rate was reduced or abolished. The persisting increase in cardiac output during exercise is due to an increase in stroke volume, reflecting a Starling relationship. In the presence of the adrenergic neurone-blocking agent bretylium, a positive inotropic effect on isolated, paced atrial and ventricular strips was observed. In the atrial preparations the effect persisted after 24 h. The effect was prevented by pretreatment with sotalol or cocaine, but potentiated by phentolamine pretreatment. This shows that bretylium exerts its neurone-blocking action after being taken up into the adrenergic nerves, and suggests that the positive inotropic effect of bretylium observed in vivo is due to release of endogenous catecholamines. The concentration-response curves for adrenaline on isolated spontaneously beating atrial preparations showed that the concentrations of catecholamines necessary to produce appreciable effects on the heart are higher than the concentrations found in cod plasma during ‘stress’ situations (handling and exhaustive swimming).

β-blockade abolishes the augmented cardiac tPA release induced by transactivation of heterodimerised bradykinin receptor-2 and β2-adrenergic receptor in vivo

2014 ◽  
Vol 112 (11) ◽  
pp. 951-959 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten Eriksen ◽  
Arnfinn Ilebekk ◽  
Alessandro Cataliotti ◽  
Cathrine Rein Carlson ◽  
Torstein Lyberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adrenergic Receptor ◽  
Sympathetic Nerves ◽  
Ventricular Myocardium ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Left Ventricular Myocardium ◽  
Adrenergic Stimulation ◽  
Β2 Adrenergic Receptor ◽  
Β Blocker

SummaryBradykinin (BK) receptor-2 (B2R) and β2-adrenergic receptor (β2AR) have been shown to form heterodimers in vitro. However, in vivo proofs of the functional effects of B2R-β2AR heterodimerisation are missing. Both BK and adrenergic stimulation are known inducers of tPA release. Our goal was to demonstrate the existence of B2R-β2AR heterodimerisation in myocardium and to define its functional effect on cardiac release of tPA in vivo. We further investigated the effects of a non-selective β-blocker on this receptor interplay. To investigate functional effects of B2R-β2AR heterodimerisation (i. e. BK transactivation of β2AR) in vivo, we induced serial electrical stimulation of cardiac sympathetic nerves (SS) in normal pigs that underwent concomitant BK infusion. Both SS and BK alone induced increases in cardiac tPA release. Importantly, despite B2R desensitisation, simultaneous BK infusion and SS (BK+SS) was characterised by 2.3 ± 0.3-fold enhanced tPA release compared to SS alone. When β-blockade (propranolol) was introduced prior to BK+SS, tPA release was inhibited. A persistent B2R-β2AR heterodimer was confirmed in BK-stimulated and nonstimulated left ventricular myocardium by immunoprecipitation studies and under non-reducing gel conditions. All together, these results strongly suggest BK transactivation of β2AR leading to enhanced β2AR-mediated release of tPA. Importantly, non-selective β-blockade inhibits both SS-induced release of tPA and the functional effects of B2R-β2AR heterodimerisation in vivo, which may have important clinical implications.

4-Chloro-m-cresol Triggers Malignant Hyperthermia in Susceptible Swine at Doses Greatly Exceeding Those Found in Drug Preparations

1999 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 1723-1732. ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Iaizzo ◽  
Brooks A. Johnson ◽  
Kaoru Nagao ◽  
William J. Gallagher
Keyword(s):  
Malignant Hyperthermia ◽  
Blood Chemistry ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
End Tidal ◽  
In Vivo Effects ◽  
Higher Doses ◽  
End Tidal Co2 ◽  
Cardiovascular Reactions

Background Chlorocresols are used as preservatives in numerous commercial drugs that have been shown to induce myoplasmic Ca2+ release; the most potent isoform is 4-chloro-m-cresol. The aims of this study were to (1) examine the in vivo effects of 4-chloro-m-cresol on swine susceptible to malignant hyperthermia and (2) contrast in vivo versus in vitro dose-response curves. Methods Susceptible swine (weight: 38.5 kg+/-3.55 kg) were anesthetized and monitored for variations in physiological responses, including end-tidal CO2, heart rate, blood pressure, blood chemistry, and temperatures. In the first animals studied, 4-chloro-m-cresol, at equivalent cumulative doses of 0.14, 0.28, 0.57, 1.14, 2.27, 4.54, and 9.08 mg/kg (n = 3; 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 micromol) were administered, and in a second group, larger doses were used: 1.14, 3.41, 7.95, 17.04 (n = 4), and/or 35.22 (n = 1) mg/kg (100, 300, 700, 1,500, and/or 3,100 micromol). For comparison, in vitro rectus abdominis muscle preparations obtained from normal and susceptible swine were exposed to 4-chloro-m-cresol, at cumulative concentrations of 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1,600 micromol; standard caffeine and halothane contracture testing was also performed. Results Episodes of malignant hyperthermia were not triggered in response to administration of low doses of 4-chloro-m-cresol, but transient cardiovascular reactions (e.g., tachycardia, arrhythmias, and hypotension) were observed. Subsequently, episodes in these animals were triggered when halothane (0.87; 1 MAC) and succinylcholine (2 mg/kg) were given. Animals administered the higher doses of 4-chloro-m-cresol all had fulminant episodes of malignant hyperthermia that were fatal, when equivalent cumulative concentrations were greater than 1,500 micromol. The levels of 4-chloro-m-cresol in the plasma rapidly decreased: e.g., 5 min postadministration of the 1,500-micromol dose, the mean plasma level was only 52+/-18 micromol (n = 4). Hemolysis was detected following 4-chloro-m-cresol administration at concentrations > 200 micromol. In vitro, muscle from susceptible animals elicited contractures > 200 mg at 50-micromol bath concentrations of 4-chloro-m-cresol (n = 29), whereas normal muscle did not elicit such contractures until bath concentrations were > 800 micromol (n = 10). Conclusions 4-chloro-m-cresol is a trigger of malignant hyperthermia in susceptible swine, but only when serum concentrations are far above those likely to be encountered in humans. A relatively low concentration of 4-chloro-m-cresol, 50 micromol, is sufficient to activate sarcoplasmic [Ca+2] release in vitro (e.g., contractures); this same bolus dose administered in vivo (0.57 mg/kg) has minimal effects due to the rapid decrease in its plasma levels.

scholarly journals Physiologically based kinetic modelling based prediction of in vivo rat and human acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition upon exposure to diazinon

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shensheng Zhao ◽  
Sebastiaan Wesseling ◽  
Bert Spenkelink ◽  
Ivonne M. C. M. Rietjens
Keyword(s):  
Dose Response ◽  
Kinetic Modelling ◽  
Ache Inhibition ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Alternative Testing ◽  
Dose Response Curves ◽  
Physiologically Based Kinetic Modelling ◽  
Point Of Departure

AbstractThe present study predicts in vivo human and rat red blood cell (RBC) acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition upon diazinon (DZN) exposure using physiological based kinetic (PBK) modelling-facilitated reverse dosimetry. Due to the fact that both DZN and its oxon metabolite diazoxon (DZO) can inhibit AChE, a toxic equivalency factor (TEF) was included in the PBK model to combine the effect of DZN and DZO when predicting in vivo AChE inhibition. The PBK models were defined based on kinetic constants derived from in vitro incubations with liver fractions or plasma of rat and human, and were used to translate in vitro concentration–response curves for AChE inhibition obtained in the current study to predicted in vivo dose–response curves. The predicted dose–response curves for rat matched available in vivo data on AChE inhibition, and the benchmark dose lower confidence limits for 10% inhibition (BMDL10 values) were in line with the reported BMDL10 values. Humans were predicted to be 6-fold more sensitive than rats in terms of AChE inhibition, mainly because of inter-species differences in toxicokinetics. It is concluded that the TEF-coded DZN PBK model combined with quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (QIVIVE) provides an adequate approach to predict RBC AChE inhibition upon acute oral DZN exposure, and can provide an alternative testing strategy for derivation of a point of departure (POD) in risk assessment.

scholarly journals Pharmacologically mechanistic basis for the traditional uses of Rumex acetosa in gut motility disorders and emesis

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Musaddique Hussain ◽  
Shahid Masood Raza ◽  
Khalid Hussain Janbaz
Keyword(s):  
Rumex Acetosa ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Motility Disorders ◽  
Traditional Uses ◽  
Antiemetic Activity ◽  
Rabbit Jejunum ◽  
Mechanistic Basis ◽  
The Right

<p class="Abstract"><em>In vitro</em> and<em> in vivo</em> studies were undertaken to evaluate the pharmacologically mechanistic background to validate the traditional uses of <em>Rumex acetosa</em> in the treatment of emesis and gastrointestinal motility disorders such as constipation and diarrhea. In rabbit jejunum preparation, methanolic extract of <em>R. acetosa</em> (0.01-1.0 mg/mL) caused a transient spasmogenic effect, followed by the spasmolytic effect (3-10 mg/mL). In presence of atropine, spasmogenic effect was blocked while spasmolytic effect was emerged, suggesting that spasmogenic effect was mediated through activation of muscarinic receptors. Extract inhibited the K<sup>+ </sup>(80 mM)-induced contraction, suggesting Ca<sup>2+</sup>-cha-nnel blockade, which was further confirmed when pretreatment of tissue with extract shifted the Ca<sup>2+ </sup>concentration-response curves to the right, similarly as verapamil.<em> R. acetosa</em> also exhibited the significant antiemetic activity (p&lt;0.05) against different emetogenic stimuli, when compared with chlorpromazine. This study confirms the presence of gut modulator (spasmogenic and spasmolytic) and antiemetic activates, validating its traditional uses.</p><p> </p>

scholarly journals Vascular-dependent effects of elevated glucose on postganglionic sympathetic neurons

2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (4) ◽  
pp. H1386-H1392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah H. Damon
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Function ◽  
Sympathetic Neurons ◽  
Vascular Complications ◽  
Sympathetic Nerves ◽  
T Test ◽  
Neuronal Cultures ◽  
Elevated Glucose ◽  
Low Glucose

Perivascular sympathetic nerves are important determinants of vascular function that are likely to contribute to vascular complications associated with hyperglycemia and diabetes. The present study tested the hypothesis that glucose modulates perivascular sympathetic nerves by studying the effects of 7 days of hyperglycemia on norepinephrine (NE) synthesis [tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)], release, and uptake. Direct and vascular-dependent effects were studied in vitro in neuronal and neurovascular cultures. Effects were also studied in vivo in rats made hyperglycemic (blood glucose >296 mg/dl) with streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). In neuronal cultures, TH and NE uptake measured in neurons grown in high glucose (HG; 25 mM) were less than that in neurons grown in low glucose (LG; 5 mM) ( P < 0.05; n = 4 and 6, respectively). In neurovascular cultures, elevated glucose did not affect TH or NE uptake, but it increased NE release. Release from neurovascular cultures grown in HG (1.8 ± 0.2%; n = 5) was greater than that from cultures grown in LG (0.37 ± 0.28%; n = 5; P < 0.05; unpaired t-test). In vivo, elevated glucose did not affect TH or NE uptake, but it increased NE release. Release in hyperglycemic animals (9.4 + 1.1%; n = 6) was greater than that in control animals (5.39 + 1.1%; n = 6; P < 0.05; unpaired t-test). These data identify a novel vascular-dependent effect of elevated glucose on postganglionic sympathetic neurons that is likely to affect the function of perivascular sympathetic nerves and thereby affect vascular function.

Long-term effects of hyperpolarization-activated inward current blockade on cardiac parasympathetic activity

EP Europace ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Scridon ◽  
VB Halatiu ◽  
AI Balan ◽  
DA Cozac ◽  
GV Moldovan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Vagus Nerve ◽  
Vagal Stimulation ◽  
Sinus Node ◽  
Vagal Tone ◽  
Right Atrial ◽  
The Right

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): This work was supported by a grant of the Romanian Ministry of Education and Research, CNCS - UEFISCDI Background The autonomic control of the pacemaker current, If, and the molecular mechanisms underlying parasympathetic If modulation are well understood. Conversely, the effects of chronic If blockade on the parasympathetic nervous system and on the heart rate (HR) response to acute parasympathetic changes are still largely unknown. Such interactions could significantly influence the course of patients undergoing chronic therapy with the If blocker ivabradine. Purpose We aimed to assess the effects of long-term If blockade using ivabradine on cardiac autonomic modulation and on the cardiovascular response to acute in vivo and in vitro parasympathetic stimulation. Methods Radiotelemetry ECG transmitters were implanted in 6 Control and 10 ivabradine-treated male Wistar rats (IVA; 3 weeks, 10 mg/kg/day); sympathetic and parasympathetic heart rate variability parameters were assessed. At the end of the study, the right atrium was removed and right atrial HCN(1-4) RNA expression levels were analyzed. The HR and systolic blood pressure (SBP) responses to in vivo electrical stimulation of the right vagus nerve (2–20 Hz) and the spontaneous sinus node discharge rate (SNDR) response to in vitro cholinergic receptors stimulation using carbamylcholine (10-9–10-6 mol/L) were assessed in 6 additional Control and 10 IVA rats. Results At the end of the study, mean 24-h HR was significantly lower in the IVA compared with the Control rats (301.3 ± 7.5 bpm vs. 341.5 ± 8.3 bpm; p&lt; 0.01). Ivabradine administration led to a significant increase in vagal tone and shifted the sympatho-vagal balance towards vagal dominance (awake, asleep, and over 24-h; all p&lt; 0.05). In the Control rats, in vivo vagus nerve stimulation induced a progressive decrease in both the SBP (p = 0.0001) and the HR (p&lt; 0.0001). Meanwhile, in the IVA rats, vagal stimulation had no effect on the HR (p = 0.16) and induced a significantly lower drop in SBP (p&lt; 0.05). Ivabradine-treated rats also presented a significantly lower SNDR drop in response to carbamylcholine (p&lt; 0.01) and significantly higher HCN4 expression (p = 0.02). Conclusion Long-term If blockade using ivabradine caused a significant increase in vagal tone and shifted the autonomic balance towards vagal dominance in rats. Given the highly proarrhythmic effects of vagal activation at the atrial level, these findings could provide an explanation for the increased risk of atrial fibrillation associated with ivabradine use in clinical trials. In addition, ivabradine reduced the HR response to direct muscarinic receptors stimulation, canceled the cardioinhibitory response and blunted the hemodynamic response to in vivo vagal stimulation, and led to significant sinus node HCN4 up-regulation. These data suggest that ivabradine-induced HCN4 and the consequent If up-regulation could render the sinus node less sensitive to acute vagal inputs and could thus protect against excessive bradycardia induced by acute vagal activation.

Role of prostaglandins in contractile activity of the ampulla of the rabbit oviduct

1980 ◽  
Vol 238 (2) ◽  
pp. E157-E166 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. Harper ◽  
L. W. Coons ◽  
D. A. Radicke ◽  
B. J. Hodgson ◽  
G. Valenzuela
Keyword(s):  
Spontaneous Activity ◽  
Contractile Activity ◽  
Prostaglandin E ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Field Stimulation ◽  
Prostaglandin Synthetase ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Normal Tissues

Contractile activity of the ampulla of rabbit oviducts removed 24 h after an ovulating injection was studied in vitro. Spontaneous activity, field-stimulated activity, and response to phenylephrine were studied in normal, reversed, and scraped (endosalpinx removed) sections of tissues in the presence or absence of inhibitors of prostaglandin synthetase (8 or 51 micrograms/ml indomethacin or 10 or 100 micrograms/ml 5,8,11,14-eicosatetraynoic acid (ETA)). The effects of in vivo treatment with 10 mg/kg of indomethacin on the same responses were examined. Scraped tissues produced more prostaglandin E and F (measured by radioimmunoassay) than did normal tissues, and this production was suppressed by 10 micrograms/ml of indomethacin or 100 micrograms/ml of ETA. Production of prostaglandin by normal tissues was not depressed by these compounds in vitro, but was significantly reduced by pretreatment of the animals with indomethacin in vivo. In the absence of the endosalpinx, the myosalpinx exhibited spontaneous activity and responded to field stimulation and phenylephrine. Scraped and reversed tissues, however, showed a faster decline in response to field stimulation than normal tissues, and this was due to the traumatization. By contrast, traumatization increased the sensitivity of the tissue to respond to phenylephrine. Inhibition of prostaglandin synthetase by low doses of indomethacin or ETA prevented desensitization of the tissue to field stimulation, but this desensitization was little affected by the higher doses of indomethacin in vitro or in vivo. ETA did not affect the phenylephrine dose-response curves and nor did 8 micrograms/ml of indomethacin, whereas the high dose was inhibitory. Spontaneous activity was only affected by the in vivo pretreatment with indomethacin, which prevented the decline in activity of scraped tissue with time.

Measurement of sympathetic nerve activity in the unanesthetized rat

1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 250-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Fluckiger ◽  
G. Gremaud ◽  
B. Waeber ◽  
A. Kulik ◽  
A. Ichino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Arterial Pressure ◽  
Sympathetic Nerve ◽  
Sympathetic Nerve Activity ◽  
Blood Pressure Reduction ◽  
Response Curves ◽  
Nerve Activity ◽  
Dose Dependent

A new system was developed in our laboratory to continuously monitor intra-arterial pressure, heart rate, and sympathetic nerve activity in unanesthetized rats. The animals were prepared 24 h before the start of the experiments. Sympathoneural traffic was measured at the level of splanchnic nerve. The amplitude of the spikes recorded at this level was utilized to express sympathetic nerve activity. The amplitude of the residual electroneurogram signal present 30 min after the rats were killed was 32 +/- 2 mV (mean +/- SE; n = 11). For analysis, these background values were subtracted from values determined in vivo. The nerve we studied contains postganglionic fibers, since electrical activity decreased in response to ganglionic blockade with pentolinium (1.25 mg/min iv for 4 min). The amplitude of spikes fell by 43 +/- 4% (n = 4). Sympathetic nerve activity was highly reproducible at a 24-h interval (104 +/- 26 vs. 111 +/- 27 mV for the amplitude of spikes; n = 11). Dose-response curves to the alpha 1-stimulant methoxamine and to bradykinin were established in four rats. The increase in blood pressure induced by methoxamine caused a dose-dependent fall in sympathetic nerve activity, whereas the blood pressure reduction resulting from bradykinin was associated with a dose-dependent activation of sympathetic drive. These data therefore indicate that it is possible with out system to accurately measure sympathetic nerve activity in the awake rat, together with intra-arterial pressure and heart rate.

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