Increase in sympathetic outflow by paraventricular nucleus stimulation in awake rats

1989 ◽  
Vol 256 (6) ◽  
pp. R1325-R1330 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Kannan ◽  
Y. Hayashida ◽  
H. Yamashita

Our previous studies demonstrated that stimulation of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in anesthetized rats evoked a depressor response accompanied with a decrease in sympathetic outflow (H. Kannan, A. Niijima, and H. Yamashita, J. Auton. Nerv. Syst. 19: 83-86, 1987; H. Yamashita, H. Kannan, M. Kasai, and T. Osaka, J. Auton. Nerv. Syst. 19: 229-234, 1987). Because anesthesia may alter cardiovascular responses, we examined in conscious rats the effects of PVN stimulation on arterial pressure, heart rate, and renal sympathetic nerve activity. Electrical stimulation through chronically implanted electrodes evoked increases in arterial pressure and renal sympathetic nerve activity with a slight decrease in heart rate. The magnitude of responses was dependent on the frequency and the intensity of the stimulus. Latency of the excitatory response of the renal sympathetic nerve activity was approximately 70 ms. Microinjection of L-glutamate (0.5 M, 200 nl) into the PVN area also elicited increases in blood pressure and renal sympathetic nerve activity. These results suggest that activation of PVN neurons in conscious rats produces pressor responses due to an increase in the sympathetic outflow. These findings contrast with those obtained previously in anesthetized rats.

1995 ◽  
Vol 269 (5) ◽  
pp. R1289-R1293 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Fukuhara ◽  
T. Tsuchihashi ◽  
I. Abe ◽  
M. Fujishima

Adrenomedullin is a vasodilative peptide and shows slight homology with calcitonin gene-related peptide. In the present study, we investigated the effects of adrenomedullin on cardiovascular and neurohormonal responses in 13 conscious rabbits. The animals were chronically instrumented with bipolar electrodes on the left renal sympathetic nerve. Intravenous administration of human adrenomedullin (10, 100, 1,000, and 3,000 pmol/kg, n = 6) caused a dose-dependent reduction in mean arterial pressure (0 +/- 2, -1 +/- 2, -19 +/- 2, and -29 +/- 4 mmHg, respectively) concomitant with increases in heart rate, renal sympathetic nerve activity, plasma renin activity, and plasma norepinephrine. The significant reduction in mean arterial pressure induced by 1,000 pmol/kg of adrenomedullin occurred within 1 min after injection and lasted for 15 min (n = 7). In contrast, the significant increases in heart rate and renal sympathetic nerve activity lasted for more than 50 min. When mean arterial pressure was decreased by 15 mmHg by adrenomedullin, the increases in heart rate and renal sympathetic nerve activity were 53 +/- 8 beats/min and 78 +/- 13%, respectively, which were significantly smaller than those induced by intravenous injection of sodium nitroprusside (102 +/- 14 beats/min and 155 +/- 34%, respectively). These results suggest that intravenous adrenomedullin exerts a hypotensive action that is associated with the attenuated reflex-mediated sympathetic activation.


1990 ◽  
Vol 259 (6) ◽  
pp. H1674-H1680 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. L. Chen ◽  
M. M. Knuepfer ◽  
T. C. Westfall

Intrathecal administration of 4 nmol/kg neuropeptide Y in Dial-urethane-anesthetized rats elicited decreases in arterial pressure, renal sympathetic nerve activity, and a slight decrease in heart rate. The depressor response was associated with a sustained hindquarters and mesenteric vasodilation resulting in a decrease in total peripheral resistance. Intrathecal NPY also resulted in a decrease in renal sympathetic nerve activity. There was a positive correlation between the percent changes in arterial pressure and renal sympathetic nerve activity. With the use of renal nerve activity and heart rate as indexes, NPY resulted in a decrease in baroreflex sensitivity. The depressor effect of intrathecal NPY did not appear to be due to spinal vasoconstriction and ischemia, since spinal microvascular resistance was decreased slightly. We conclude that the intrathecal administration of NPY produces an inhibition of sympathetic nerve activity, resulting in a decrease in total peripheral resistance and arterial pressure.


1995 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. 2082-2086
Author(s):  
J C Neahring ◽  
S Y Jones ◽  
G F DiBona

Efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity is increased in experimental nephrotic syndrome and exhibits attenuated cardiopulmonary baroreflex inhibition during volume expansion in anesthetized rats. Additional studies were performed in conscious rats to avoid the potentially confounding influences of anesthesia; these studies used another more specific standardized stimulus for cardiopulmonary baroreflex activation. Sprague Dawley rats were studied 3 to 4 wk after adriamycin injection (3.5 mg/kg iv); all rats developed proteinuria. In sinoaortic denervated rats (anesthetized), graded frequency stimulation of the central end of the cut right vagus nerve produced frequency-dependent decreases in mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity. The decreases in mean arterial pressure and heart rate were similar in control and nephrotic rats, but efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity decreased significantly less in nephrotic than control rats over the entire frequency range (P < 0.02). In sinoaortic denervated rats (conscious), 10% body weight isotonic saline volume expansion decreased mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity. The decreases in mean arterial pressure and heart rate were similar in control and nephrotic rats, but efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity decreased significantly less in nephrotic than control rats over the entire period of volume expansion (P < 0.04). In nephrotic syndrome, the cardiopulmonary baroreflex inhibition of efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity is decreased; the defect lies in the central portion of the reflex. This may contribute to the observed increase in efferent renal sympathetic nerve activity in nephrotic syndrome.


1991 ◽  
Vol 260 (1) ◽  
pp. H260-H266
Author(s):  
I. H. Zucker ◽  
J. S. Chen ◽  
W. Wang

The angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor captopril has been shown to cause resetting of the arterial baroreflex to a lower pressure without a change in gain. The present study was conducted to determine whether captopril altered the relationship between arterial pressure, heart rate, and renal sympathetic nerve activity in conscious quietly resting dogs. Fourteen instrumented dogs were given 2 mg/kg iv of captopril; 10 min later postcaptopril measurements were made. Six of the fourteen dogs were pretreated with cyclooxygenase inhibitor (indomethacin or meclofenamate) before administration of captopril. Renal nerve activity and hemodynamics were measured in a final group of eight dogs in which arterial pressure was lowered with a graded infusion of sodium nitroprusside. Captopril caused a small but significant decrease in arterial pressure. This decrease in arterial pressure was accompanied by a significant increase in heart rate; however, renal sympathetic nerve activity was significantly reduced. In contrast, dogs receiving nitroprusside exhibited an increase in both heart rate and renal sympathetic nerve activity in response to similar decreases in arterial pressure. Dogs that received cyclooxygenase inhibitor showed reduced arterial pressure in response to captopril, increased heart rate, and increased renal sympathetic nerve activity. This study is the first to report a decrease in sympathetic nerve activity in response to captopril in an awake chronically instrumented animals. These data suggest that captopril's ability to augment prostaglandin synthesis is responsible for the observed sympathoinhibition.


2007 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 1034-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valérie Oréa ◽  
Roy Kanbar ◽  
Bruno Chapuis ◽  
Christian Barrès ◽  
Claude Julien

This study examined the possible influence of changes in heart rate (HR) on the gain of the transfer function relating renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) to arterial pressure (AP) at HR frequency in rats. In seven urethane-anesthetized rats, AP and RSNA were recorded under baseline conditions (spontaneous HR = 338 ± 6 beats/min, i.e., 5.6 ± 0.1 Hz) and during 70-s periods of cardiac pacing at 6–9 Hz applied in random order. Cardiac pacing slightly increased mean AP (0.8 ± 0.2 mmHg/Hz) and decreased pulse pressure (−3.6 ± 0.3 mmHg/Hz) while leaving the mean level of RSNA essentially unaltered ( P = 0.680, repeated-measures ANOVA). The gain of the transfer function from AP to RSNA measured at HR frequency was always associated with a strong, significant coherence and was stable between 6 and 9 Hz ( P = 0.185). The transfer function gain measured under baseline conditions [2.44 ± 0.28 normalized units (NU)/mmHg] did not differ from that measured during cardiac pacing (2.46 ± 0.27 NU/mmHg). On the contrary, phase decreased linearly as a function of HR, which indicated the presence of a fixed time delay (97 ± 6 ms) between AP and RSNA. In conclusion, the dynamic properties of arterial baroreflex pathways do not affect the gain of the transfer function between AP and RSNA measured at HR frequency in the upper part of the physiological range of HR variations in the rat.


1985 ◽  
Vol 248 (6) ◽  
pp. H827-H834 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. P. Undesser ◽  
J. Y. Pan ◽  
M. P. Lynn ◽  
V. S. Bishop

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of rapid baroreceptor resetting on the baroreflex control of renal sympathetic nerve activity in conscious rabbits. Renal sympathetic nerve activity was recorded and used as an index of the efferent limb of the baroreflex. Heart rate and arterial pressure were also recorded. Arterial pressure was raised with either phenylephrine or angiotensin II to a level that eliminated renal sympathetic nerve activity and was maintained at this level for periods of time ranging from 1 to 60 min. On returning pressure to control levels, renal sympathetic nerve activity remained suppressed for up to 90 min, with the duration of the suppression dependent on the magnitude and duration of the pressure stimulus. During this period of suppressed nerve activity, baroreflex curves were generated. The curves produced at this time were also suppressed as compared with control baroreflex curves. With time, the suppressed baroreflex curves returned to control. Further studies were performed to show that the suppression of renal sympathetic nerve activity was mediated via the prolonged increase in baroreceptor afferent activity during the pressure stimulus and was not due to a central effect of phenylephrine. This study indicates that although baroreceptor afferent activity may reset rapidly, there does not appear to be an augmentation of renal sympathetic nerve activity as would be expected.


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