Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Clinical Investigation logoLink to The Journal of Clinical Investigation
. 1991 Jun;87(6):1953–1957. doi: 10.1172/JCI115221

Interaction of baroreceptor and chemoreceptor reflex control of sympathetic nerve activity in normal humans.

V K Somers 1, A L Mark 1, F M Abboud 1
PMCID: PMC296947  PMID: 2040688

Abstract

Animal studies have demonstrated that activation of the baroreflex by increases in arterial pressure inhibits cardiovascular and ventilatory responses to activation of peripheral chemoreceptors (PC) with hypoxia. In this study, we examined the influences of baroreflex activation on the sympathetic response to stimulation of PC and central chemoreceptors in humans. PC were stimulated by hypoxia (10% O2/90% N2) (n = 6) and central chemoreceptors by hypercapnia (7% CO2/93% O2) (n = 6). Responses to a cold pressor stimulus were also obtained as an internal reflex control to determine the selectivity of the interactive influence of baroreflex activation. Baroreflex activation was achieved by raising mean blood pressure by greater than 10 mmHg with intravenous infusion of phenylephrine (PE). Sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) to muscle was recorded from a peroneal nerve (microneurography). During hypoxia alone, SNA increased from 255 +/- 92 to 354 +/- 107 U/min (P less than 0.05). During PE alone, mean blood pressure increased and SNA decreased to 87 +/- 45 U/min (P less than 0.05). With hypoxia during baroreflex activation with PE, SNA did not increase (50 +/- 23 U/min). During hypercapnia alone, SNA increased from 116 +/- 39 to 234 +/- 72 U/min (P less than 0.01). Hypercapnia during baroreflex activation with PE increased SNA from 32 +/- 25 U/min during PE alone to 61 +/- 26 U/min during hypercapnia and PE (P less than 0.05). Like hypercapnia (but unlike hypoxia) the cold pressor test also increased SNA during PE. We conclude that baroreflex activation selectively abolishes the SNA response to hypoxia but not to hypercapnia or the cold pressor test. The inhibitory interaction of the baroreflex and the peripheral chemoreflex may be explained by convergence of baroreceptor and peripheral chemoreceptor afferents on neurons in the medulla.

Full text

PDF
1953

Images in this article

1954Image
on p.1954
1954Image
on p.1954
1956Image
on p.1956
1956Image
on p.1956

Selected References

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

  1. CUNNINGHAM D. J., HEY E. N., PATRICK J. M., LLOYD B. B. The effect of noradrenaline infusion on the relation between pulmonary ventilation and the alveolar PO2 and PCO2 in man. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1963 Jun 24;109:756–771. doi: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1963.tb13504.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Calvelo M. G., Abboud F. M., Ballard D. R., Abdel-Sayed W. Reflex vascular responses to stimulation of chemoreceptors with nicotine and cyanide. Activation of adrenergic constriction in muscle and noncholinergic dilatation in dog's paw. Circ Res. 1970 Aug;27(2):259–276. doi: 10.1161/01.res.27.2.259. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ferguson D. W., Abboud F. M., Mark A. L. Relative contribution of aortic and carotid baroreflexes to heart rate control in man during steady state and dynamic increases in arterial pressure. J Clin Invest. 1985 Dec;76(6):2265–2274. doi: 10.1172/JCI112236. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Gelfand R., Lambertsen C. J. Dynamic respiratory response to abrupt change of inspired CO2 at normal and high PO2. J Appl Physiol. 1973 Dec;35(6):903–913. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1973.35.6.903. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Heistad D. D., Abboud F. M., Mark A. L., Schmid P. G. Interaction of baroreceptor and chemoreceptor reflexes. Modulation of the chemoreceptor reflex by changes in baroreceptor activity. J Clin Invest. 1974 May;53(5):1226–1236. doi: 10.1172/JCI107669. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Heistad D., Abboud F. M., Mark A. L., Schmid P. G. Effect of baroreceptor activity on ventilatory response to chemoreceptor stimulation. J Appl Physiol. 1975 Sep;39(3):411–416. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1975.39.3.411. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Lugliani R., Whipp B. J., Seard C., Wasserman K. Effect of bilateral carotid-body resection on ventilatory control at rest and during exercise in man. N Engl J Med. 1971 Nov;285(20):1105–1111. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197111112852002. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Mancia G. Influence of carotid baroreceptors on vascular responses to carotid chemoreceptor stimulation in the dog. Circ Res. 1975 Feb;36(2):270–276. doi: 10.1161/01.res.36.2.270. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Mancia G., Shepherd J. T., Donald D. E. Interplay among carotid sinus, cardiopulmonary, and carotid body reflexes in dogs. Am J Physiol. 1976 Jan;230(1):19–24. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1976.230.1.19. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. 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]
  11. Miura M., Reis D. J. The role of the solitary and paramedian reticular nuclei in mediating cardiovascular reflex responses from carotid baro- and chemoreceptors. J Physiol. 1972 Jun;223(2):525–548. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1972.sp009861. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Somers V. K., Mark A. L., Abboud F. M. Potentiation of sympathetic nerve responses to hypoxia in borderline hypertensive subjects. Hypertension. 1988 Jun;11(6 Pt 2):608–612. doi: 10.1161/01.hyp.11.6.608. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Somers V. K., Mark A. L., Zavala D. C., Abboud F. M. Contrasting effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia on ventilation and sympathetic activity in humans. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1989 Nov;67(5):2101–2106. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1989.67.5.2101. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Somers V. K., Mark A. L., Zavala D. C., Abboud F. M. Influence of ventilation and hypocapnia on sympathetic nerve responses to hypoxia in normal humans. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1989 Nov;67(5):2095–2100. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1989.67.5.2095. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Vallbo A. B., Hagbarth K. E., Torebjörk H. E., Wallin B. G. Somatosensory, proprioceptive, and sympathetic activity in human peripheral nerves. Physiol Rev. 1979 Oct;59(4):919–957. doi: 10.1152/physrev.1979.59.4.919. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Wade J. G., Larson C. P., Jr, Hickey R. F., Ehrenfeld W. K., Severinghaus J. W. Effect of carotid endarterectomy on carotid chemoreceptor and baroreceptor function in man. N Engl J Med. 1970 Apr 9;282(15):823–829. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197004092821501. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Walker B. R., Brizzee B. L. Cardiovascular responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia in barodenervated rats. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1990 Feb;68(2):678–686. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1990.68.2.678. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Clinical Investigation are provided here courtesy of American Society for Clinical Investigation

RESOURCES