Reduction in baroreflex cardiovascular responses due to venous infusion in the rabbit. (1/1080)

We studied reflex bradycardia and depression of mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) during left aortic nerve (LAN) stimulation before and after volume infusion in the anesthetized rabbit. Step increases in mean right atrial pressure (MRAP) to 10 mm Hg did not result in a significant change in heart rate or MAP. After volume loading, responses to LAN stimulation were not as great and the degree of attenuation was propoetional to the level of increased MRAP. A change in responsiveness was observed after elevation of MRAP by only 1 mm Hg, corresponding to less than a 10% increase in average calculated blood volume. after an increase in MRAP of 10 mm Hg, peak responses were attenuated by 44% (heart rate) and 52% (MAP), and the initial slopes (rate of change) were reduced by 46% (heart rate) and 66% (MAP). Comparison of the responses after infusion with blood and dextran solutions indicated that hemodilution was an unlikely explanation for the attenuation of the reflex responses. Total arterial baroreceptor denervation (ABD) abolished the volume-related attenuation was still present following bilateral aortic nerve section or vagotomy. It thus appears that the carotid sinus responds to changes inblood volume and influences the reflex cardiovascular responses to afferent stimulation of the LAN. On the other hand, cardiopulmonary receptors subserved by vagal afferents do not appear to be involved.  (+info)

Effect of central corticotropin-releasing factor on carbon tetrachloride-induced acute liver injury in rats. (2/1080)

Central neuropeptides play important roles in many instances of physiological and pathophysiological regulation mediated through the autonomic nervous system. In regard to the hepatobiliary system, several neuropeptides act in the brain to regulate bile secretion, hepatic blood flow, and hepatic proliferation. Stressors and sympathetic nerve activation are reported to exacerbate experimental liver injury. Some stressors are known to stimulate corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) synthesis in the central nervous system and induce activation of sympathetic nerves in animal models. The effect of intracisternal CRF on carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute liver injury was examined in rats. Intracisternal injection of CRF dose dependently enhanced elevation of the serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level induced by CCl4. Elevations of serum aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and total bilirubin levels by CCl4 were also enhanced by intracisternal CRF injection. Intracisternal injection of CRF also aggravated CCl4-induced hepatic histological changes. Intracisternal CRF injection alone did not modify the serum ALT level. Intravenous administration of CRF did not influence CCl4-induced acute liver injury. The aggravating effect of central CRF on CCl4-induced acute liver injury was abolished by denervation of hepatic plexus with phenol and by denervation of noradrenergic fibers with 6-hydroxydopamine treatment but not by hepatic branch vagotomy or atropine treatment. These results suggest that CRF acts in the brain to exacerbate acute liver injury through the sympathetic-noradrenergic pathways.  (+info)

Proximal gastric vagotomy: effects of two operative techniques on clinical and gastric secretory results. (3/1080)

PGV performed in 39 patients by separating the lesser omentum from the stomach beginning 6 or 7 cm proximal to the pylorus and skeletonizing the distal 1 to 2 cm of esophagus was followed by 15.4% of proven and 10.2 of suspected recurrent ulcers. Insulin tests were done during the first 3 months postoperatively on 31 of the patients, including the 6 with proven and the 4 with suspected recurrent ulcers. The peak acid output to insulin minus tha basal acid output (PAOI-BAO) was less than 5 mEq/hr in 16 cases (52%) and from 5 to 25 mEq/hr in the remaining 15 cases. In 6 patients with proven recurrent ulcer, PAOI-BAO averaged 21.9 mEq/hr (range, 11.3 to 41.8); in the 4 patients with suspected recurrence, 9.5 (range, 4.4 to 11.8). The operative technique was changed in one respect; the distal 5 to 7.5 cm of the esophagus was skeletonized. In 14 patients, the mean PAOI-BAO +/- S.E. within 3 months of PGV was 1985 +/- 0.7 mEq/hr, and 13 of 14 values were less than 5 mEq/hr. One patient developed recurrent ulcer and required re-operation; this patient's value for PAO-BAO was 1.8 mEq/hr. The results show quantitatively that great differences in the completeness of PGV result from differences in the periesophageal dissection and emphasize its importance if optimal results are to be obtained and, especially, if the efficacy of the operation is to be judged.  (+info)

Mechanisms of acute cardiovascular response to periodic apneas in sedated pigs. (4/1080)

This study was designed to evaluate the importance of sympathoadrenal activation in the acute cardiovascular response to apneas and the role of hypoxemia in this response. In addition, we evaluated the contribution of the vagus nerve to apnea responses after chemical sympathectomy. In six pigs preinstrumented with an electromagnetic flow probe and five nonpreinstrumented pigs, effects of periodic nonobstructive apneas were tested under the following six conditions: room air breathing, 100% O2 supplementation, both repeated after administration of hexamethonium (Hex), and both repeated again after bilateral vagotomy in addition to Hex. With room air apneas, during the apnea cycle, there were increases in mean arterial pressure (MAP; from baseline of 108 +/- 4 to 124 +/- 6 Torr, P < 0.01), plasma norepinephrine (from 681 +/- 99 to 1,825 +/- 578 pg/ml, P < 0.05), and epinephrine (from 191 +/- 67 to 1,245 +/- 685 pg/ml, P < 0.05) but decreases in cardiac output (CO; from 3.3 +/- 0.6 to 2.4 +/- 0.3 l/min, P < 0.01) and cervical sympathetic nerve activity. With O2 supplementation relative to baseline, apneas were associated with small increases in MAP (from 112 +/- 4 to 118 +/- 3 Torr, P < 0.01) and norepinephrine (from 675 +/- 97 to 861 +/- 170 pg/ml, P < 0.05). After Hex, apneas with room air were associated with small increases in MAP (from 103 +/- 6 to 109 +/- 6 Torr, P < 0.05) and epinephrine (from 136 +/- 45 to 666 +/- 467 pg/ml, P < 0.05) and decreases in CO (from 3.6 +/- 0.4 to 3.2 +/- 0. 5 l/min, P < 0.05). After Hex, apneas with O2 supplementation were associated with decreased MAP (from 107 +/- 5 to 100 +/- 5 Torr, P < 0.05) and no other changes. After vagotomy + Hex, with room air and O2 supplementation, apneas were associated with decreased MAP (from 98 +/- 6 to 76 +/- 7 and from 103 +/- 7 to 95 +/- 6 Torr, respectively, both P < 0.01) but increased CO [from 2.7 +/- 0.3 to 3. 2 +/- 0.4 l/min (P < 0.05) and from 2.4 +/- 0.2 to 2.7 +/- 0.2 l/min (P < 0.01), respectively]. We conclude that sympathoadrenal activation is the major pressor mechanism during apneas. Cervical sympathetic nerve activity does not reflect overall sympathoadrenal activity during apneas. Hypoxemia is an important but not the sole trigger factor for sympathoadrenal activation. There is an important vagally mediated reflex that contributes to the pressor response to apneas.  (+info)

Vagus nerve modulates secretin binding sites in the rat forestomach. (5/1080)

Secretin is well known for its inhibitory action on gastric motility. It has been reported that secretin in a physiological dose inhibits gastric motility through mediation by the vagal afferent pathway. Secretin also elicited relaxation of carbachol-stimulated rat forestomach muscle strips by binding to its receptors, suggesting a direct action on this peripheral tissue. We hypothesized that vagal input may affect the action of secretin by modulating the level of secretin receptor in the forestomach. Several treatments, including vagal ligation, vagotomy, perivagal application of capsaicin or colchicine, intravenous infusion of tetrodotoxin, and intraperitoneal injection of atropine, were performed to investigate their effects on secretin receptor binding to forestomach membranes. Specific binding of 125I-labeled secretin to forestomach membranes was significantly decreased (45%) by vagal ligation, vagotomy (50%), or perivagal colchicine treatment (40%). On the contrary, specific binding of 125I-secretin was not affected by perivagal capsaicin treatment, intravenous infusion of tetrodotoxin, or intraperitoneal injection of atropine. By Scatchard analysis of the binding data, the capacity of the high-affinity binding sites in forestomach membranes was found to decrease significantly after vagal ligation compared with membranes from the sham-operated group. However, the affinity at the high-affinity binding sites, the binding parameters of the low-affinity binding sites, and binding specificity were not changed. Vagal ligation but not perivagal capsaicin treatment reduced the inhibitory effect of secretin on bethanechol-stimulated contraction of isolated forestomach muscle strips, causing a right shift in the dose-response curve. These results suggest that vagal input through axonal transport plays a significant role on secretin action by modulating the capacity of secretin binding sites (but not affinity or specificity), at least in rat forestomach.  (+info)

Meal-synchronized CEA in rats: effects of meal size, intragastric feeding, and subdiaphragmatic vagotomy. (6/1080)

Within a feeding schedule of intermittent food access, large meals have the ability to induce activity at the same time the next day [circadian ensuing activity (CEA)]. In these experiments, we evaluated the minimum meal size necessary to induce CEA and whether oral-pharyngeal factors and afferent vagal activity played necessary roles in the induction of the underlying process. In experiment 1, every 33 h rats were given two meals separated by a 2-h interval. The size of the first meal was varied, while total intake every feeding cycle was held constant. When the initial meal was <10 g (34 kcal) CEA occurred later, indicating that such a meal size was subthreshold for inducing CEA. In experiment 2, rats were given intragastric (IG) meals every 33 h, before and after complete subdiaphragmatic vagotomy. IG nutrient meals induced CEA, indicating that extensive oral-pharyngeal experience was not necessary for CEA induction. CEA occurred in vagotomized rats but, compared with intact rats, appeared to occur later relative to nutrient infusion, indicating that afferent vagal activity may be sufficient but not necessary to induce CEA.  (+info)

Mechano- and chemoreceptor modulation of renal sympathetic nerve activity at birth in fetal sheep. (7/1080)

Physiological responses at birth include increases in heart rate (HR), blood pressure, sympathetic nerve activity, and circulating vasoactive peptides. The factors mediating these responses are not known. To test the hypothesis that afferent input from peripheral mechanoreceptors (arterial and cardiopulmonary baroreceptors) and chemoreceptors contribute to the sympathoexcitatory and hormonal responses at birth, we studied the effects of sinoaortic denervation (SAD) and SAD with vagotomy (Vx) on changes in HR, mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), and catecholamine, arginine vasopressin (AVP), and ANG II levels at birth in term sheep. One hour after delivery by cesarean section, RSNA increased by 168 +/- 49 and 192 +/- 32% (relative to fetal values) in SAD and SAD-Vx animals, respectively. Significant increases in HR (18 +/- 5 and 20 +/- 6%) and MABP (24 +/- 4 and 20 +/- 5%) were also observed 1 h after delivery in SAD and SAD-Vx lambs, respectively. These responses are similar to those seen in intact sheep delivered at the same gestational age. AVP levels markedly increased after birth (19.8 +/- 6.7 to 136.1 +/- 75.9 pg/ml) in SAD-Vx lambs, whereas SAD animals displayed no change in AVP concentrations. Plasma ANG II also did not change after birth in either group, although levels were consistently higher (P < 0.01) in SAD compared with SAD-Vx animals. In the presence of SAD, Vx resulted in significantly greater plasma levels of norepinephrine, although levels did not change after birth in either group. The epinephrine responses at birth were similar in both groups of animals. The present data suggest that afferent input from peripheral chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors contributes little to the hemodynamic and sympathetic responses after delivery by cesarean section. On the other hand, these peripheral mechanisms appear to be involved in modulating endocrine responses at birth.  (+info)

Vagal afferents and active upper airway closure during pulmonary edema in lambs. (8/1080)

The present study was undertaken to gain further insight into the mechanisms responsible for the sustained active expiratory upper airway closure previously observed during high-permeability pulmonary edema in lambs. The experiments were conducted in nonsedated lambs, in which airflow and thyroarytenoid and inferior pharyngeal constrictor muscle electromyographic activity were recorded. We first studied the consequences of hemodynamic pulmonary edema (induced by impeding pulmonary venous return) on upper airway dynamics in five lambs; under this condition, a sustained expiratory upper airway closure consistently appeared. We then tested whether expiratory upper airway closure was related to vagal afferent activity from bronchopulmonary receptors. Five bivagotomized lambs underwent high-permeability pulmonary edema: no sustained expiratory upper airway closure was observed. Finally, we studied whether a sustained decrease in lung volume induced a sustained expiratory upper airway closure. Five lambs underwent a 250-ml pleural infusion: no sustained expiratory upper airway closure was observed. We conclude that 1) the sustained expiratory upper airway closure observed during pulmonary edema in nonsedated lambs is related to stimulation of vagal afferents by an increase in lung water and 2) a decrease in lung volume does not seem to be the causal factor.  (+info)

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