Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1991 Oct;442:91–101. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1991.sp018784

Rapid resetting of human baroreflex working range: insights from sympathetic recordings during acute hypoglycaemia.

J Fagius 1, C Berne 1
PMCID: PMC1179880  PMID: 1798052

Abstract

1. Human muscle nerve sympathetic activity (MSA), which is governed by baroreflexes and involved in blood pressure homeostasis, is increased during acute insulin-induced hypoglycaemia. 2. To elucidate the detailed relationship between MSA and blood pressure during hypoglycaemia, 0.15 i.u. (kg body weight)-1 regular human insulin was given intravenously to eight fasting, healthy volunteers. Microneurographic recording of MSA in the peroneal nerve was made with simultaneous monitoring of arterial blood pressure by a finger cuff (Finapres). The course of MSA and blood pressure was monitored for 30 min before and 60 min after insulin injection. In three subjects control recording without insulin injection was made for the same duration. 3. Stimulus-response regression lines were constructed by plotting diastolic blood pressure against the occurrence frequency of MSA for the period of initial rest, the period of maximal MSA outflow during hypoglycaemia and the period of glucose counter-regulation. The control experiments were analysed for the corresponding periods. 4. The stimulus-response line was stable throughout the control experiments, whereas it was shifted either to the left or to the right during hypoglycaemia, and regularly shifted to the left (i.e. towards a lower blood pressure) during glucose counter-regulation, without change of slope. 5. It is concluded that the changes in MSA during acute hypoglycaemia are not secondary to baroreflex regulation but instead are characterized by acute resetting of the baroreflex working range without change of sensitivity.

Full text

PDF
91

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Bevegård B. S., Shepherd J. T. Circulatory effects of stimulating the carotid arterial stretch receptors in man at rest and during exercise. J Clin Invest. 1966 Jan;45(1):132–142. doi: 10.1172/JCI105317. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bristow J. D., Honour A. J., Pickering G. W., Sleight P., Smyth H. S. Diminished baroreflex sensitivity in high blood pressure. Circulation. 1969 Jan;39(1):48–54. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.39.1.48. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bristow J. D., Honour A. J., Pickering T. G., Sleight P. Cardiovascular and respiratory changes during sleep in normal and hypertensive subjects. Cardiovasc Res. 1969 Oct;3(4):476–485. doi: 10.1093/cvr/3.4.476. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brown A. M., Saum W. R., Yasui S. Baroreceptor dynamics and their relationship to afferent fiber type and hypertension. Circ Res. 1978 May;42(5):694–702. doi: 10.1161/01.res.42.5.694. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Eckberg D. L., Rea R. F., Andersson O. K., Hedner T., Pernow J., Lundberg J. M., Wallin B. G. Baroreflex modulation of sympathetic activity and sympathetic neurotransmitters in humans. Acta Physiol Scand. 1988 Jun;133(2):221–231. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1988.tb08401.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Eckberg D. L., Wallin B. G., Fagius J., Lundberg L., Torebjörk H. E. Prospective study of symptoms after human microneurography. Acta Physiol Scand. 1989 Dec;137(4):567–569. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1989.tb08804.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fagius J., Berne C. Changes of sympathetic nerve activity induced by 2-deoxy-D-glucose infusion in humans. Am J Physiol. 1989 Jun;256(6 Pt 1):E714–E720. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.1989.256.6.E714. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fagius J., Karhuvaara S., Sundlöf G. The cold pressor test: effects on sympathetic nerve activity in human muscle and skin nerve fascicles. Acta Physiol Scand. 1989 Nov;137(3):325–334. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1989.tb08760.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fagius J., Karhuvaara S. Sympathetic activity and blood pressure increases with bladder distension in humans. Hypertension. 1989 Nov;14(5):511–517. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.14.5.511. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fagius J., Niklasson F., Berne C. Sympathetic outflow in human muscle nerves increases during hypoglycemia. Diabetes. 1986 Oct;35(10):1124–1129. doi: 10.2337/diab.35.10.1124. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Fagius J., Sundlöf G. The diving response in man: effects on sympathetic activity in muscle and skin nerve fascicles. J Physiol. 1986 Aug;377:429–443. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1986.sp016196. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Frandsen H., Berne C., Fagius J., Niklasson F., Christensen N. J., Hilsted J. Plasma volume substitution does not inhibit plasma noradrenaline and muscle nerve sympathetic responses to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in healthy humans. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1989 Oct;49(6):573–581. doi: 10.3109/00365518909089138. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Hedner J., Ejnell H., Sellgren J., Hedner T., Wallin G. Is high and fluctuating muscle nerve sympathetic activity in the sleep apnoea syndrome of pathogenetic importance for the development of hypertension? J Hypertens Suppl. 1988 Dec;6(4):S529–S531. doi: 10.1097/00004872-198812040-00166. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Hilsted J., Bonde-Petersen F., Madsbad S., Parving H. H., Christensen N. J., Adelhøj B., Bigler D., Sjøntoft E. Changes in plasma volume, in transcapillary escape rate of albumin and in subcutaneous blood flow during hypoglycaemia in man. Clin Sci (Lond) 1985 Sep;69(3):273–277. doi: 10.1042/cs0690273. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hilsted J., Bonde-Petersen F., Nørgaard M. B., Greniman M., Christensen N. J., Parving H. H., Suzuki M. Haemodynamic changes in insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in normal man. Diabetologia. 1984 May;26(5):328–332. doi: 10.1007/BF00266031. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Imholz B. P., van Montfrans G. A., Settels J. J., van der Hoeven G. M., Karemaker J. M., Wieling W. Continuous non-invasive blood pressure monitoring: reliability of Finapres device during the Valsalva manoeuvre. Cardiovasc Res. 1988 Jun;22(6):390–397. doi: 10.1093/cvr/22.6.390. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Ludbrook J., Faris I. B., Iannos J., Jamieson G. G., Russell W. J. Lack of effect of isometric handgrip exercise on the responses of the carotid sinus baroreceptor reflex in man. Clin Sci Mol Med. 1978 Aug;55(2):189–194. doi: 10.1042/cs0550189. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. MCCUBBIN J. W., GREEN J. H., PAGE I. H. Baroceptor function in chronic renal hypertension. Circ Res. 1956 Mar;4(2):205–210. doi: 10.1161/01.res.4.2.205. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Mancia G., Ludbrook J., Ferrari A., Gregorini L., Zanchetti A. Baroreceptor reflexes in human hypertension. Circ Res. 1978 Aug;43(2):170–177. doi: 10.1161/01.res.43.2.170. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Mark A. L., Victor R. G., Nerhed C., Wallin B. G. Microneurographic studies of the mechanisms of sympathetic nerve responses to static exercise in humans. Circ Res. 1985 Sep;57(3):461–469. doi: 10.1161/01.res.57.3.461. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Richter D. W., Keck W., Seller H. The course of inhibition of sympathetic activity during various patterns of carotid sinus nerve stimulation. Pflugers Arch. 1970;317(2):110–123. doi: 10.1007/BF00592496. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Sanders J. S., Mark A. L., Ferguson D. W. Importance of aortic baroreflex in regulation of sympathetic responses during hypotension. Evidence from direct sympathetic nerve recordings in humans. Circulation. 1989 Jan;79(1):83–92. doi: 10.1161/01.cir.79.1.83. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Sundlöf G., Wallin B. G. Human muscle nerve sympathetic activity at rest. Relationship to blood pressure and age. J Physiol. 1978 Jan;274:621–637. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1978.sp012170. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Tan W., Panzenbeck M. J., Hajdu M. A., Zucker I. H. A central mechanism of acute baroreflex resetting in the conscious dog. Circ Res. 1989 Jul;65(1):63–70. doi: 10.1161/01.res.65.1.63. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Victor R. G., Leimbach W. N., Jr, Seals D. R., Wallin B. G., Mark A. L. Effects of the cold pressor test on muscle sympathetic nerve activity in humans. Hypertension. 1987 May;9(5):429–436. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.9.5.429. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Wallin B. G., Eckberg D. L. Sympathetic transients caused by abrupt alterations of carotid baroreceptor activity in humans. Am J Physiol. 1982 Feb;242(2):H185–H190. doi: 10.1152/ajpheart.1982.242.2.H185. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Wallin B. G., Fagius J. Peripheral sympathetic neural activity in conscious humans. Annu Rev Physiol. 1988;50:565–576. doi: 10.1146/annurev.ph.50.030188.003025. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wallin B. G., Sundlöf G. A quantitative study of muscle nerve sympathetic activity in resting normotensive and hypertensive subjects. Hypertension. 1979 Mar-Apr;1(2):67–77. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.1.2.67. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Zanchetti A. Overview of cardiovascular reflexes in hypertension. Am J Cardiol. 1979 Oct 22;44(5):912–918. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(79)90222-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES