Baroreflex-induced sympathetic activation does not alter cerebrovascular CO2 responsiveness in humans.
We investigated the effect of baroreflex-induced sympathetic activation, produced by lower body negative pressure (LBNP) at -40 mmHg, on cerebrovascular responsiveness to hyper- and hypocapnia in healthy humans. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound was used to measure blood flow velocity (CFV) in the middle cerebral artery during variations in end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure (PET,CO2) of +10, +5, 0, -5, and -10 mmHg relative to eupnoea. The slopes of the linear relationships between PET,CO2 and CFV were computed separately for hyper- and hypocapnia during the LBNP and no-LBNP conditions. LBNP decreased pulse pressure, but did not change mean arterial pressure. LBNP evoked an increase in ventilation that resulted in a 9 +/- 2 mmHg decrease in PET,CO2, which was corrected by CO2 supplementation of the inspired air. LBNP did not affect cerebrovascular CO2 response slopes during steady-state hypercapnia (3.14 +/- 0.24 vs. 2.96 +/- 0.26 cm s-1 mmHg-1) or hypocapnia (1.31 +/- 0.18 vs. 1.32 +/- 0.19 cm s-1 mmHg-1), or the CFV responses to voluntary apnoea (+51 +/- 19 vs. +50 +/- 18 %). Thus, cerebrovascular CO2 responsiveness was not altered by baroreflex-induced sympathetic activation. Our data challenge the concept that sympathetic activation restrains cerebrovascular responses to alterations in CO2 pressure.
LeMarbre
Gabrielle
G
Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Middleton Veterans Affairs Administration Hospital, 53705, USA.
Stauber
Shannon
S
Khayat
Rami N
RN
Puleo
Dominic S
DS
Skatrud
James B
JB
Morgan
Barbara J
BJ
D000328:Adult; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000503:physiopathology; D016857:Hypocapnia / Q000503:physiopathology; D007024:Hypotension, Orthostatic / Q000503:physiopathology; D008150:Lower Body Negative Pressure; D008297:Male; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000502:physiology
D002245:Carbon Dioxide