SYMPATHETIC BAROREFLEX SENSITIVITY IS INVERSELY RELATED TO VASCULAR TRANSDUCTION IN MALES BUT NOT FEMALES.

Sarah L Hissen; Vaughan G Macefield; Rachael Brown; Chloe E Taylor
Abstract
Sympathetic baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) is a measure of how effectively the baroreflex buffers beat-to-beat changes in blood pressure through the modulation of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA). However, current methods of assessment do not take into account the transduction of sympathetic nerve activity at the level of the vasculature, which is known to vary between individuals. In this study we tested the hypothesis that there is an inverse relationship between sympathetic BRS and vascular transduction. In 38 (18 males) healthy adults, continuous measurements of blood pressure, MSNA and superficial femoral artery diameter and blood flow (Doppler ultrasound) were recorded during 10 min of rest. Spontaneous sympathetic BRS was quantified as the relationship between diastolic pressure and MSNA burst incidence. Vascular transduction was quantified by plotting the changes in leg vascular conductance for 10 cardiac cycles following each burst of MSNA, and taking the nadir. In males, sympathetic BRS was inversely related to vascular transduction (r = -0.49; p = 0.04). However, this relationship was not present in females (r = -0.17; p = 0.47). To conclude, an interaction exists between sympathetic BRS and vascular transduction in healthy males, such that males with high sympathetic BRS have low vascular transduction, and vice versa. This may be to ensure that blood pressure is regulated effectively, although further research is needed to explore what mechanisms are involved and examine why this relationship was not apparent in females.
Journal AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY. HEART AND CIRCULATORY PHYSIOLOGY
ISSN 1522-1539
Published 01 Nov 2019
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Pages
DOI 10.1152/ajpheart.00501.2019
Type Journal Article
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