title: Blood pressure regulation in the three-toed sloth, Bradypus variegatus.
abstract: The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of the baroreflex in blood pressure control in sloths, Bradypus variegatus, since these animals show labile levels in this parameter. Unanesthetized cannulated sloths were positioned in an experimental chair and the arterial catheter was coupled to a strain gauge pressure transducer. Blood pressure was monitored before, during and after the administration of phenylephrine (0.0625 to 4 microg/kg) and sodium nitroprusside (0.0625 to 2 microg/kg), bringing about changes in mean blood pressure from +/-30 mmHg in relation to control values. The relation between heart rate changes due to blood pressure variation was estimated by linear regression analysis. The slope was considered the reflex baroreceptor gain. The results (means+/-SD) showed that the reflex baroreceptor gain was -0.3+/-0.1 bpm/mmHg (r=0.88) to phenylephrine and -0.5+/-0.1 bpm/mmHg (r=0.92) to sodium nitroprusside, denoting a reduced reflex baroreceptor gain when compared with other mammals, suggesting that in sloths the baroreceptors are minimally involved in the buffering reflex response to these drugs. These findings suggest that the labile blood pressure could be influenced or be a result of this lowering in the reflex baroreceptor gain.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: D P F
authors.initials: DPF
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil. Electronic address: cpc@ufpe.br.
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: A M S
authors.initials: AMS
authors.lastname: Cabral
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Fisiologia e Farmacologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Gilmore
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia; D000818:Animals; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D009599:Nitroprusside / Q000494:pharmacology; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011311:Pressoreceptors / Q000378:metabolism; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012896:Sloths / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009599:Nitroprusside; D010656:Phenylephrine