title: Age-related effects of vagotonic atropine on cardiovagal baroreflex gain.
abstract: Impaired neural transduction of barosensory vessel stretch into vagal outflow is a primary determinant of reduced cardiovagal baroreflex gain with human aging. We set out to determine whether age-related reductions in this neural component of the baroreflex might be offset by enhancing the central integration/efferent responsiveness of the neural arc. Low vagotonic doses of atropine were employed to enhance central neural outflow and peripheral sinus node effects. Baroreflex gain and its neural and mechanical components were pharmacologically assessed before and after intravenous vagotonic atropine in 16 older and 14 young healthy subjects. Vagotonic atropine increased cardiovagal baroreflex gain (∼30%) and its neural component (∼20%) in older but not young individuals. Moreover, the atropine-induced increases in integrated gain and in its neural component were inversely related to baseline levels. Thus, age-related neural deficits in the baroreflex arc appear to play a determining role in reduced cardiovagal baroreflex gain with age and the compromised neural baroreflex function can be acutely improved by a single pharmacologic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02114, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Carine C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Callegaro
authors.forename: J Andrew
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001285:Atropine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010276:Parasympatholytics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010276:Parasympatholytics; D001285:Atropine