title: Quantification of sympathetic and parasympathetic tones by nonlinear indexes in normotensive rats.
abstract: Because the use of spectral powers of blood pressure (BP) and R-R interval (RR) in the low (LF) and high frequencies (HF) to quantify sympathetic and parasympathetic activities is still under debate, we questioned whether nonlinear methods may give better results. The BP signal was recorded for 30 min before and after intravenous injection of hexamethonium (20 mg/kg), atropine (0.5 mg/kg), atenolol (1 mg/kg), and prazosin (1 mg/kg) in conscious, normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats. Three nonlinear indexes [percentage of recurrence, percentage of determinism, and length index (Lmax)] extracted from the recurrence plot method were used to analyze the BP signal. Sympathetic but not parasympathetic blockade reduced BP level and its LF component. RR increased and decreased after beta- and alpha-blockades, respectively. Hexamethonium increased HF, and atropine reduced LF, of RR. Sympathetic blockade and, in particular, alpha-sympathetic blockade increased nonlinear indexes of BP. In contrast, parasympathetic blockade by atropine increased nonlinear indexes of RR. These results suggest that, compared with spectral indexes, nonlinear indexes may be more specific markers of sympathetic and parasympathetic tones.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U337, Faculté de Médecine Broussais Hôtel-Dieu, 75270 Paris Cedex 06, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Dabiré
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mestivier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jarnet
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Safar
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Chau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001262:Atenolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003971:Diastole; D018738:Hexamethonium / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D012016:Reference Values; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013599:Systole
chemical_list: D018738:Hexamethonium; D001262:Atenolol; D001285:Atropine; D011224:Prazosin