This study tested the hypothesis that the discharge patterns of action potentials (APs) within bursts of postganglionic muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) are subject to arterial baroreflex control but in a manner that varies inversely with AP size. MSNA data were collected over 5 min of supine rest in 15 young and healthy individuals (8 males; 24 ± 4 yr of age; means ± SD). The barorefle...

BACKGROUND orthostatic hypotension in elderly people is often attributed to diminished afferent baroreflex sensitivity, but this has not been demonstrated. We examined the hypothesis that postural change in blood pressure is related to baroreflex sensitivity, independent of the confounding effect of baseline blood pressure. METHODS we studied 25 active, untreated elderly subjects free of post...

Control of heart rate variability via modulation of sympathovagal balance is a key function of nucleus tractus solitarii and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus localized in the dorsomedial medulla oblongata. Normal blood pressure regulation involves precise balance of glutamate (Glu)-glutamine-gamma-aminobutyric acid transmitter systems, and angiotensin II modulates these transmitters to pro...

Baroreflex buffering plays an important role in arterial blood pressure control. Previous reports suggest that baroreflex sensitivity may be altered in endurance exercise-trained compared with untrained subjects. It is unknown, however, if in vivo baroreflex buffering is altered in the endurance exercise-trained state in humans. Baroreflex buffering was determined in 36 healthy normotensive men...

Spontaneous baroreflex control of pulse interval (PI) was assessed in healthy volunteers under thermoneutral and heat stress conditions. Subjects rested in the supine position with their lower legs in a water bath at 34 degrees C. Heat stress was imposed by increasing the bath temperature to 44 degrees C. Arterial blood pressure (Finapres), PI (ECG), esophageal and skin temperature, and stroke ...

BACKGROUND Patients diagnosed with idiopathic orthostatic intolerance report symptoms of lightheadedness, fatigue, and nausea accompanied by an exaggerated tachycardia when assuming the upright posture. Often, these symptoms are present in the absence of any decrease in arterial pressure. We hypothesized that patients with idiopathic orthostatic intolerance would have impaired cardiac vagal and...

The purpose of this investigation was to examine whether the effect of changes in central blood volume on carotid-vasomotor baroreflex sensitivity at rest was the same during exercise. Eight men (means +/- SE: age 26 +/- 1 yr; height 180 +/- 3 cm; weight 86 +/- 6 kg) participated in the present study. Sixteen Torr of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) were applied to decrease central venous pr...

The purpose of this study was to determine if arterial baroreflex control of sympathetic nerve traffic is impaired in heart failure. We recorded renal nerve activity during changes in arterial pressure while simultaneously recording from aortic baroreceptor afferent fibers in 10 dogs with heart failure induced by rapid ventricular pacing and in 10 sham animals. Sensitivity of the aortic barorec...

PURPOSE Neurocardiogenic syncope (formerly vasovagal) accounts for large numbers of falls in older adults and the mechanisms are poorly understood. This study examined the differences in baseline arterial baroreflex function in older adults with and without a neruocardiovascular response to orthostatic stress. METHODS Subjects were divided into two groups based on the presence (TT+ group) or ...