title: Acid-sensing ion and epithelial sodium channels do not contribute to the mechanoreceptor component of the exercise pressor reflex.
abstract: Amiloride, injected into the popliteal artery, has been reported to attenuate the reflex pressor response to static contraction of the triceps surae muscles. Both mechanical and metabolic stimuli arising in contracting skeletal muscle are believed to evoke this effect, which has been named the exercise pressor reflex. Amiloride blocks both acid-sensing ion channels, as well as epithelial sodium channels. Nevertheless, amiloride is thought to block the metabolic stimulus to the reflex, because this agent has been shown to attenuate the reflex pressor response to injection of lactic acid into the arterial supply of skeletal muscle. The possibility exists, however, that amiloride may also block mechanical stimuli evoking the exercise pressor reflex. The mechanical component of the reflex can be assessed by measuring renal sympathetic nerve activity during the first 2-5 s of contraction. During this period of time, the sudden tension developed by contraction onset briskly discharges mechanoreceptors, whereas it has little effect on the discharge of metaboreceptors. We, therefore, examined the effect of amiloride (0.5 microg/kg) injected into the popliteal artery on the renal sympathetic and pressor responses to static contraction of the triceps surae muscles in decerebrated cats. We found that amiloride significantly attenuated the pressor and renal sympathetic responses to contraction; for the latter variable, the attenuation started 10 s after the onset of contraction. Our findings lead us to conclude that acid-sensing ion channels and epithelial sodium channels play little, if any, role in evoking the mechanical component of the exercise pressor reflex.
authors.affiliation: Penn State Heart and Vascular Institute, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA. jmccord@hmc.psu.edu
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: McCord
authors.forename: Shawn G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Hayes
authors.forename: Marc P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Kaufman
mesh_terms: D062565:Acid Sensing Ion Channels; D000584:Amiloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002415:Cats; D003655:Decerebrate State / Q000503:physiopathology; D004232:Diuretics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation / Q000502:physiology; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D013710:Tendons / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D062565:Acid Sensing Ion Channels; D004232:Diuretics; D053503:Epithelial Sodium Channels; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D015222:Sodium Channels; D019344:Lactic Acid; D000584:Amiloride