Vascular angiotensin and the sympathetic nervous system: do they interact?

1994 ◽  
Vol 267 (1) ◽  
pp. H187-H194 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. F. Hilgers ◽  
R. Veelken ◽  
I. Kreppner ◽  
D. Ganten ◽  
F. C. Luft ◽  
...  

We tested the hypothesis that local vascular formation of angiotensin (ANG) II and the sympathetic nervous system potentiate each other. Isolated rat hindquarters were perfused with an artificial medium, and ANG I and II release was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay. Electrical stimulation of the lumbar sympathetic chain (0.5, 2, and 8 Hz) did not affect vascular ANG release in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Hypertensive, ren-2 transgenic (TG+) rat hindquarters released significantly more ANG I (110 +/- 19 vs. 65 +/- 21 fmol/30 min in SD rats) and ANG II (235 +/- 22 vs. 140 +/- 30 fmol/30 min); however, nerve stimulation did not alter ANG release in TG+ rats. Captopril inhibited vascular ANG II release by 90%, but neither captopril nor ANG II receptor blockade by losartan affected the pressor response to nerve stimulation in SD and TG+ rats. Isoproterenol failed to increase either vascular ANG release or pressor response to nerve stimulation in SD or spontaneously hypertensive rat hindquarters. Exogenous renin, which increased vascular ANG release approximately 100-fold, prolonged the pressor responses to nerve stimulation. We conclude that the vascular renin-ANG system does not interact with the sympathetic nervous system locally. However, high concentrations of ANG II, which can be induced by circulation-derived renin, may prolong the duration of sympathetic nerve-induced vasoconstriction.

1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (4) ◽  
pp. R604-R609 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Hines ◽  
J. P. Porter

In contrast to the attenuated pressor response to intravenous angiotensin II (ANG II) in rat pregnancy, the response to intracerebroventricular ANG II is not blunted. To test whether this difference was due to enhanced effects of sympathetic nervous system activation, blood pressure, heart rate, and renal and mesenteric blood flow were measured in conscious term-pregnant and age-matched virgin rats during electrical stimulation of the posterior hypothalamus and during intravenous infusion of norepinephrine (NE). The pressor responses to endogenous NE release by hypothalamic stimulation were significantly greater (P less than 0.05) in pregnant rats at 10, 15 and 20 Hz. In contrast, the pressor response to exogenous NE was significantly blunted in gravid animals. These differences were not associated with significant differences in renal or mesenteric vascular resistance changes. We conclude that the lack of an attenuated response to intracerebroventricular ANG II in the pregnant rat can be explained in part by an enhanced pressor effect of sympathetic nervous system activation.


1986 ◽  
Vol 250 (1) ◽  
pp. H52-H61 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Bruner ◽  
G. D. Fink

A central pressor effect of angiotensin II (ANG II) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several forms of experimental hypertension. Therefore, the present studies were designed to investigate mechanisms that contribute to hypertension resulting from selective stimulation of brain ANG II receptors by chronic intracerebroventricular (ICV) infusion of ANG II. Specifically, the role of the sympathetic nervous system, the pressor actions of vasopressin, and the direct vasoconstrictor effect of blood-borne ANG II were investigated in rats made hypertensive by 5- to 7-day ICV ANG II infusions (6 micrograms/h). Rats were chronically instrumented with indwelling arterial and venous catheters and a lateral cerebral ventricular cannula. Acute intravenous infusion of the competitive ANG II receptor antagonist [Sar1-Ala8]ANG II during the period of ICV ANG II infusion resulted in a moderate decrease in arterial pressure, indicating that an increase in blood-borne ANG II may account for a small component of the hypertensive response to ICV ANG II. Activation of the sympathetic nervous system appeared to be the major contributor to the elevated arterial pressure, since acute ganglionic blockade and combined alpha- and beta-adrenergic blockade produced greater depressor responses in rats made hypertensive with chronic ICV ANG II infusion than in normotensive rats. Furthermore, peripheral sympathectomy delayed hypertension development. Intravenous administration of a specific antagonist of the vascular vasopressin receptor did not cause a depressor response in rats made hypertensive with chronic ICV ANG II infusions. These studies demonstrate that a major mechanism involved in the pressor response to acute ICV ANG II injections, namely vasopressin release, does not appear to contribute to hypertension produced by chronic ICV infusions of ANG II. Rather, this form of hypertension is characterized predominantly by an increase in sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone and possibly by a mechanism activated by a small increase in circulating levels of ANG II.


1987 ◽  
Vol 253 (4) ◽  
pp. G531-G539 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Gillis ◽  
J. Dias Souza ◽  
K. A. Hicks ◽  
A. W. Mangel ◽  
F. D. Pagani ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not the sympathetic nervous system provides a tonic inhibitory input to the colon in chloralose-anesthetized cats. Proximal and midcolonic motility were monitored using extraluminal force transducers. An intravenous bolus injection of 5 mg of phentolamine in 14 animals elicited a pronounced increase in proximal colon contractility. The minute motility index changed from 0 +/- 0 to 26 +/- 4 after phentolamine administration. Midcolonic motility also increased in response to phentolamine. Specific blockade of alpha 2-receptors, but not alpha 1-receptors, caused the same response seen with phentolamine. alpha-Adrenergic blockade increased colon contractility after spinal cord transection but not after ganglionic blockade. Blockade of alpha-adrenergic receptors was also performed before vagal and pelvic nerve stimulation and in both cases increased colonic motility. Vagal stimulation alone had no effect on colonic contractility, while pelvic nerve stimulation increased motility at the midcolon. alpha-Receptor blockade did not alter the ineffectiveness of vagal stimulation but did unmask excitatory effects of pelvic nerve stimulation on the proximal colon. All excitatory colonic responses were prevented by blocking muscarinic cholinergic receptors. These data indicate that tonic sympathetic nervous system activity exerts an inhibitory effect on colonic motility. The inhibitory effect is mediated through alpha 2-adrenergic receptors. Based on these findings, we suggest that alterations in sympathetic nervous system activity may be extremely important for the regulation of circular muscle contractions in the colon.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (6) ◽  
pp. E763-E778 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. Reid

The renin-angiotensin system plays an important role in the regulation of arterial blood pressure and in the development of some forms of clinical and experimental hypertension. It is an important blood pressure control system in its own right but also interacts extensively with other blood pressure control systems, including the sympathetic nervous system and the baroreceptor reflexes. Angiotensin (ANG) II exerts several actions on the sympathetic nervous system. These include a central action to increase sympathetic outflow, stimulatory effects on sympathetic ganglia and the adrenal medulla, and actions at sympathetic nerve endings that serve to facilitate sympathetic neurotransmission. ANG II also interacts with baroreceptor reflexes. For example, it acts centrally to modulate the baroreflex control of heart rate, and this accounts for its ability to increase blood pressure without causing a reflex bradycardia. The physiological significance of these actions of ANG II is not fully understood. Most evidence indicates that the actions of ANG to enhance sympathetic activity do not contribute significantly to the pressor response to exogenous ANG II. On the other hand, there is considerable evidence that the actions of endogenous ANG II on the sympathetic nervous system enhance the cardiovascular responses elicited by activation of the sympathetic nervous system.


1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (2) ◽  
pp. H593-H599 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kobori ◽  
A. Ichihara ◽  
H. Suzuki ◽  
T. Takenaka ◽  
Y. Miyashita ◽  
...  

This study was conducted to examine whether the renin-angiotensin system contributes to hyperthyroidism-induced cardiac hypertrophy without involving the sympathetic nervous system. Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control-innervated, control-denervated, hyperthyroid-innervated, and hyperthyroid-denervated groups using intraperitoneal injections of thyroxine and 6-hydroxydopamine. After 8 wk, the heart-to-body weight ratio increased in hyperthyroid groups (63%), and this increase was only partially inhibited by sympathetic denervation. Radioimmunoassays and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction revealed increased cardiac levels of renin (33%) and angiotensin II (53%) and enhanced cardiac expression of renin mRNA (225%) in the hyperthyroid groups. These increases were unaffected by sympathetic denervation or 24-h bilateral nephrectomy. In addition, losartan and nicardipine decreased systolic blood pressure to the same extent, but only losartan caused regression of thyroxine-induced cardiac hypertrophy. These results suggest that thyroid hormone activates the cardiac renin-angiotensin system without involving the sympathetic nervous system or the circulating renin-angiotensin system; the activated renin-angiotensin system contributes to cardiac hypertrophy in hyperthyroidism.


1985 ◽  
Vol 248 (5) ◽  
pp. H652-H657 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Hasser ◽  
J. R. Haywood ◽  
V. S. Bishop

The contribution of arginine vasopressin (AVP) and the sympathetic nervous system to the pressor response elicited by hypertonic NaCl infusion was investigated in conscious dogs with intact carotid sinus baroreceptors or in dogs subjected to chronic sinoaortic baroreceptor denervation (SAD). Infusion of 6% NaCl at 0.05 ml X kg-1 X min-1 for 60 min increased plasma osmolality an average of 12 +/- 2 mosmol/kg in both intact and SAD dogs. Arterial pressure increased 6 +/- 2 mmHg in intact animals and was normalized by subsequent administration of a specific vascular AVP antagonist. Pretreatment with the AVP antagonist did not alter resting arterial pressure but prevented the increase due to the osmotic stimulus. Pretreatment with ganglionic blockade reduced resting arterial pressure (-17 +/- 2 mmHg). Subsequent infusion of hypertonic NaCl elevated arterial pressure (21 +/- 7 mmHg) to a significantly greater level than that observed with the autonomic nervous system intact. In SAD dogs, the osmotic stimulus increased arterial pressure (16 +/- 1 mmHg) to a significantly greater extent than in intact animals. Subsequent administration of AVP antagonist normalized arterial pressure, and pretreatment with the antagonist prevented any pressor response. Pretreatment with ganglionic blockade did not alter the pressor response (15 +/- 2 mmHg) to hypertonic NaCl. Data suggest that the increase in arterial pressure due to an osmotic stimulus is due to AVP release and does not require a functional sympathetic nervous system. The response is normally buffered by arterial baroreflexes, presumably due to sympathetic withdrawal.


1996 ◽  
Vol 271 (4) ◽  
pp. H1416-H1422 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. M. Stauss ◽  
K. C. Kregel

Power spectrum analysis of arterial blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) has been used to investigate autonomic nervous system activity. Sympathetic-mediated vasomotor tone has been attributed to the BP power at frequencies between 0.05 and 0.15 Hz in humans and dogs and between 0.2 and 0.8 Hz in rats. In contrast, it has been suggested that the sympathetic nervous system is too sluggish to transmit frequencies higher than 0.017 Hz in dogs. Thus we investigated the frequency-response characteristics of the transmission of peripheral sympathetic nerve discharge to peripheral vascular resistance and arterial blood pressure in conscious rats. Eleven rats were instrumented with arterial catheters, nerve electrodes on the sympathetic splanchnic nerve, and flow probes on the superior mesenteric artery. The splanchnic nerve was cut proximal to the electrode to avoid afferent nerve stimulation. The next day the nerve was stimulated at frequencies of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 Hz while mesenteric blood flow, BP, and HR were recorded in conscious rats. Mesenteric resistance (MR) was calculated off-line. Nerve stimulation at 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 Hz significantly increased the power in MR at these respective frequencies. The greatest response was found between 0.2 and 0.5 Hz. These oscillations in MR were translated to oscillations in BP, but not in HR. Nerve stimulation on the second day, when the nerve was degenerated, did not elicit oscillations in MR or BP. We conclude that the peripheral sympathetic nervous system in rats can transmit signals at frequencies higher than those traditionally assigned to sympathetic vasomotor activity in several species, including humans, and may even overlap with the respiration-related high-frequency range.


1990 ◽  
Vol 258 (1) ◽  
pp. H107-H112
Author(s):  
K. G. Cornish ◽  
M. W. Barazanji ◽  
R. Iaffaldano

The contribution of the autonomic nervous system, angiotensin II (ANG II), and arginine vasopressin (AVP) to the control of blood pressure (BP) was examined in 12 chronically instrumented tethered monkeys. The vasopressin antagonist, [d(CH2)5AVP] (Manning Compound, MC), the ANG II antagonist, saralasin (SAR), and the ganglionic blocking drug, hexamethonium (Hx), were injected in a random sequence into the left atrium (LA) while BP and heart rate (HR) were monitored. When given as the first antagonist, MC caused a slight decrease in BP; SAR did not significantly decrease BP regardless of the sequence of administration, whereas Hx caused a consistent decrease in blood pressure of 35–50 mmHg. Seven (4 intact and 3 with renal denervation) additional animals were involved in hemorrhage experiments. Blood pressure was reduced to 50–60 mmHg by hemorrhage and then allowed to return spontaneously. Ten to 15 min after the end of the hemorrhage, MC was given. When blood pressure had stabilized, SAR was given. Blood pressure returned to 80–90 mmHg after the hemorrhage. MC did not affect the blood pressure recovery; however, saralasin reduced it to the post-hemorrhage levels. We would conclude that the sympathetic nervous system is the primary controlling mechanism for BP in the conscious primate, with AVP making a minor contribution. The release of renin would appear to be primarily under the control of the sympathetic nervous system.


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