The effects of the sympathetic nervous system on accommodation. II. Alpha sympathetic nervous system.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
SEARCH · Search PubMed
Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Angiotensin II and norepinephrine (NE) have been implicated in the neurohumoral response to pressure overload and the development of left ventricular hypertrophy. The purpose of this study was to determine the temporal sequence for activation of the renin-angiotensin and sympathetic nervous systems in the rat after 3-60 days of pressure overload induced by aortic constriction. Initially on pressure overload, there was transient activation of the systemic renin-angiotensin system coinciding with the appearance of left ventricular hypertrophy (day 3). At day 10, there was a marked increase in AT(1) receptor density in the left ventricle, increased plasma NE concentration, and elevated cardiac epinephrine content. Moreover, the inotropic response to isoproterenol was reduced in the isolated, perfused heart at 10 days of pressure overload. The affinity of the beta(2)-adrenergic receptor in the left ventricle was decreased at 60 days. Despite these alterations, there was no decline in resting left ventricular function, beta-adrenergic receptor density, or the relative distribution of beta(1)- and beta(2)-receptor sites in the left ventricle over 60 days of pressure overload. Thus activation of the renin-angiotensin system is an early response to pressure overload and may contribute to the initial development of cardiac hypertrophy and sympathetic activation in the compensated heart.
This study was designed to assess the role of renin and of the sympathoadrenal system in the maintenance of the hypertension induced by chronic nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition in rats kept on a normal (RS) or a low-sodium (LS) diet. With the administration of NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) in drinking water (0.4 milligrams) for 6 wk, mean intra-arterial blood pressure rose to a similar extent to 201 mmHg in the RS and 184 mmHg in the LS animals. Simultaneously, plasma norepinephrine was increased to 838 and 527 pg/ml and epinephrine to 2,041 and 1,341 pg/ml in RS and LS, respectively. Plasma neuropeptide Y levels did not change. Plasma renin activity rose to 21 ng.ml-1.h-1 in RS but remained at 44 ng.ml-1.h-1 in the LS. Both losartan (10 mg/kg) and phentolamine (0.1 mg/kg) intravenous bolus injections reduced blood pressure considerably in the L-NAME hypertensive animals. Whole brain NOS activity was reduced by 84%. Hypertension induced by chronic NOS inhibition in LS as well as in RS fed rats seems to be sustained by an interaction of several mechanisms, including the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the renin-angiotensin system.
White adipose tissue (WAT) is innervated by postganglionic sympathetic nervous system (SNS) neurons, suggesting that lipid mobilization could be regulated by the SNS [T. G. Youngstrom and T. J. Bartness. Am. J. Physiol. 268 (Regulatory Integrative Comp. Physiol. 37): R744-R751, 1995]. A viral transsynaptic retrograde tract tracer, the pseudorabies virus (PRV), was used to identify the origins of the SNS outflow from the brain to WAT neuroanatomically. PRV was injected into epididymal or inguinal WAT (EWAT and IWAT, respectively) of Siberian hamsters and IWAT of rats. PRV-infected neurons were visualized by immunocytochemistry and found in the spinal cord, brain stem (medulla, nucleus of the solitary tract, caudal raphe nucleus, C1 and A5 regions), midbrain (central gray), and several areas within the forebrain. The general pattern of infection of WAT in both species was more similar than different and resembled that seen after PRV injections into the adrenal medulla in rats (A. M. Strack, W. B. Sawyer, J. H. Hughes, K. B. Platt, and A. D. Loewy. Brain Res. 491: 156-162, 1989). EWAT versus IWAT injected hamsters had relatively less labeling in the suprachiasmatic, dorsomedial, and arcuate nuclei. Overall, it appeared that the SNS innervation of WAT originates from the general SNS outflow of the central nervous system and therefore may play a significant role in lipid mobilization.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The sympathetic nervous system plays an important role in the regulation of arterial pressure, and increased sympathetic nervous system activity has been implicated as a primary precursor of hypertension in both humans and animal models of the disease. To date, the mechanism that potentiates the increase in sympathetic nervous system activity has not been fully elucidated. Imbalances in several neurotransmitters and neuromodulators are present during the development of hypertension, and these directly and indirectly contribute to increased release of noradrenaline onto the postsynaptic targets of the sympathetic nerves. In sodium chloride-sensitive hypertensive subjects, dietary sodium chloride increases sympathetic nervous system activity both directly and indirectly. Bidirectional interactions among the immune system and the sympathetic nervous system also appear to play a role in the development of hypertension. Finally, recent studies suggest that insulin-glucose excess and nitric oxide deficiency may increase the sympathetic nervous system's contribution to some forms of hypertension.
The efferent sympathetic nervous system is organized into subsystems that innervate and regulate via separate peripheral sympathic pathways the different autonomic target organs. This review discusses mechanisms through which this efferent system may be causally involved in the generation of pain. Clinical pain syndromes in which this may be the case are "complex regional pain syndromes" (CRPS) type I (previously reflex sympathetic dystrophy) and type II (recently causalgia). The "sympathetically maintained pain" (SMP) is a symptom (and not a clinical entity) that can principally also be present in other pain syndromes. An explanatory hypothesis, which may explain the clinical phenomenology of CRPS (different types of pain, swelling, autonomic, motor and trophic changes) and the mechanisms involved, is described and discussed. This hypothesis consists of different components that either have been tested and verified experimentally or which are still hypothetical. The hypothesis consists of changes in the primary afferent (nociceptive and non-nociceptive) neurones (sensitization, ectopic impulse generation) and of the neurones in the spinal cord (preferentially in the dorsal horn) which are secondary consequences of the changes in the primary afferent neurones ("central sensitization"). These changes are not specific for SMP. The centerpiece of the hypothesis is a positive feedback circuit that consists of the primary afferent neurones, spinal cord neurones, sympathic neurones and the pathologic sympathetic-afferent coupling. This coupling can occur directly via noradrenaline (or possibly another substance) at different sites of the afferent neurone (at the lesion site, remote from the lesion site in the periphery and in the spinal ganglion). The direct coupling requires that the afferent neurone expresses adrenoceptors. Indirect coupling can occur via the vascular bed or otherwise, e.g. by changes of the neurovascular transmission. The activity in the sympathetic neurones to the affected extremity can change. This change does not consist of a generalized increase of sympathetic activity but of a change of the reflexes (e.g., thermoregulatory and nociceptive reflexes). From this follows that the pathophysiologal processes operating in CRPS may occur at four levels of integration that interact with each other: effector organ, peripheral afferent and sympathetic neurone, spinal cord, supraspinal centres. Recent experimental investigations on rats show that the sympathetic nervous system is possibly also causally involved in the generation of inflammation and inflammatory pain. The mechanisms by which this occurs are different from those operating in SMP during CRPS.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The sympathetic nervous system plays a central role in establishing communication between the central nervous system and the immune system during inflammation. Inflammation activates the sympathetic nervous system, which causes release of the transmitters of the sympathetic nervous system in the periphery. The transmitters of the sympathetic nervous system are the catecholamines noradrenaline and adrenaline and the purines ATP, adenosine, and inosine. Once these transmitters are released, they stimulate both presynaptic receptors on nerve terminals and post-synaptic receptors on immune cells. The receptors that are sensitive to catecholamines are termed adrenoceptors, whereas the receptors that bind purines are called purinoceptors. Stimulation of the presynaptic receptors exerts an autoregulatory effect on the release of transmitters. Ligation of the postsynaptic receptors on inflammatory cells modulates the inflammatory activities of these cells. The present review summarizes some of the most important aspects of the current state of knowledge about the interactions between the sympathetic nervous system and the immune system during inflammation with a special emphasis on the role of adreno and purinoceptors.
Although the sympathetic nervous system is markedly activated in most patients with congestive heart failure, it is not clear whether such activity is clinically beneficial (and should be reinforced) or detrimental (and should be pharmacologically blocked). Some insights pertinent to this important question can be gained by reviewing the results of clinical trials with beta agonists and antagonists. Neither beta 1-selective (prenalterol) nor beta 2-selective (pirbuterol) agonists have been shown to be effective in treating heart failure in double-blind, placebo-controlled studies; moreover, research has indicated that prolonged stimulation of beta receptors with oral or intravenous catecholamines may adversely affect survival. In contrast, sustained therapy with drugs that attenuate the effects of the sympathetic nervous system (by blocking either tyrosine hydroxylase or beta-adrenergic receptors) may produce hemodynamic and clinical improvement and may favorably affect long-term prognosis. These potential benefits of beta-adrenergic blockade contrast strikingly with the lack of efficacy (with respect to clinical status and survival) of agents that block alpha-adrenergic receptors. Beta-adrenergic blockade carries important risks in the patient with heart failure, however. The risk-to-benefit ratio cannot be delineated accurately until the outcome of additional randomized clinical trials is known.
Three groups of New Zealand white rabbits were used to study the effects of captopril on the renin-angiotensin system and sympathetic nervous system during sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced hypotension and halothane anesthesia. Two groups of rabbits (C and CH) were treated with captopril 2 mg/kg i.v. One captopril-treated group (CH) and the third, untreated group (H) received SNP to induce hypotension. In these two groups, the mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) was reduced by 40% for 150 min. Group C did not undergo SNP-induced hypotension and served to document the effects of captopril alone during the 150-min study period. Arterial blood samples for norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (EPI), and plasma renin activity (PRA) were drawn prior to, during hypotension, and in the recovery period. The SNP dose required to maintain the hypotension was continuously recorded. NE, EPI, and PRA all increased in group H, indicating activation of both the renin-angiotensin system and the sympathetic system during hypotension. This was accompanied by a dramatic increase in SNP dose requirement. In the CH group, PRA levels rose sharply and remained elevated. Plasma NE levels increased, while EPI levels remained unchanged with a decline in the SNP dose requirement. The C group demonstrated a rise in PRA levels, accompanied by unchanged NE and EPI levels and MAP during the study period. Captopril administration decreased the SNP dose requirement and significantly decreased the sympathetic response (measured by NE and EPI levels) in group CH as compared to the H group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The aim of this study was to assess whether an interaction exists between the renin-angiotensin system and the sympathetic nervous system at the level of the adrenal medulla during insulin-induced hypoglycemia in normal humans. Seventeen healthy volunteers were studied in a randomized, single-dose, double-blind, cross-over fashion using 25 mg captopril v placebo followed by an intravenous injection of 0.15 IU/kg insulin. Blood samples were obtained before and at 15 min intervals after insulin injection. Both plasma glucose level and heart rate were identical during captopril and placebo at rest and after insulin. Plasma renin activity increased after insulin and captopril. The increase in plasma epinephrine was lower after insulin and captopril compared to after insulin and placebo. Likewise the increase in plasma norepinephrine was blunted on insulin and captopril. Thus, when the generation of angiotensin II was blocked by captopril the insulin-induced rise in epinephrine and norepinephrine was blunted. This indicates that an interaction exists between the renin-angiotensin system and the sympathoadrenal system.
Ten patients with advanced congestive heart failure were treated with an arginine vasopressin V1 antagonist during hemodynamic monitoring to determine the contribution of vasopressin to vasoconstriction in this disorder. The vasopressin antagonist caused a decrease in systemic vascular resistance in the three patients whose plasma vasopressin was greater than 4.0 pg/ml (average for the group was 2.4 +/- 0.6). Plasma vasopressin concentration correlated with the percent decrease of systemic vascular resistance (r = 0.70, p less than 0.025), serum sodium (r = 0.72, p less than 0.02) and serum creatinine (r = 0.85, p less than 0.005). To compare the relative roles of vasopressin, the renin-angiotensin system and the sympathetic nervous system, these patients also received captopril and phentolamine. Captopril decreased systemic vascular resistance by 20% (p less than 0.05), mostly in patients with high plasma renin activity. Levels of plasma renin activity ranged between 1 and 46 ng/ml per h (average 14.7 +/- 5.7) and correlated with serum sodium (r = 0.77, p less than 0.025), serum creatinine (r = 0.73, p less than 0.025) and right atrial pressure (r = 0.67, p less than 0.05). Phentolamine decreased systemic vascular resistance in all patients (average 34%, p less than 0.01), but the decrease did not correlate with the pretreatment norepinephrine concentration. Norepinephrine levels were elevated in all patients (694 +/- 110 pg/ml) and correlated with baseline stroke volume index (r = 0.75, p less than 0.025) and plasma renin activity (r = 0.67, p less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The sympathetic nervous system exerts important control over the coronary circulation. Studies from our laboratory have demonstrated that reflex input from skeletal muscle during static contraction causes coronary vasoconstriction. Similarly, stimulation of abdominal visceral chemosensitive afferents can, on occasions, elicit coronary vasoconstriction or limit the extent of vasodilation so that the myocardium needs to extract additional oxygen from arterial blood. Recently, we have examined the innervation of the coronary collateral circulation and found that these vessels contain catecholamines which demonstrate a pattern of fluorescence similar to that of catecholamines in the native circulation. Furthermore, stimulation of alpha 2- but not alpha 1-adrenoceptors can cause an increase in collateral vascular resistance. Thus, reflex input into the coronary circulation, perhaps during static exercise or post-prandially, can cause coronary vasoconstriction. Such constriction occurs in native coronary vessels and has the potential to be present in the coronary collateral circulation.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
In 112 patients with essential hypertension (HTA), free of any therapeutic and receiving the standard ward, a significant inverse relationship was found between age and plasma renin activity (PRA) and plasma aldosterone (PA), measured in the supine and upright position. Urinary epinephrine and norepinephrine were not related with age. When dividing the patients in 4 different age groups, it appeared that those younger than 30 years exhibited a significantly higher PRA and PA values and a higher frequency of borderline hypertension (45 p. 100) than the older ones (12 p. 100). So as to determine the characteristics associated with borderline HTA, it was necessary to eliminate the influence of age. This was achieved by comparing two groups of carefully age-matched patients, one with borderline HTA and the other with stable HTA. The only significant difference found was a significantly more marked increase in PRA in response to orthostatism, in patients with borderline HTA. Since renin responses to an orthostatic stress are largely mediated by renal nerves, this result suggest that borderline HTA could be associated with an increased reactivity of the sympathetic nervous system.
We evaluated sympathetic nervous system activity by sympathetic skin response (SSR) recording and we further investigated sympathetic and opioid outflow indirectly in patients with features of reflex sympathetic dystrophy by measuring concentrations of plasma catecholamines (CAs) and their metabolites and plasma metenkephalin (ME), before and after corticoid treatment. Six patients were studied. Basal SSR latencies, morphologies and amplitudes were normal in five patients. In one woman, latency and amplitude were also normal but the morphology was disturbed. Basal plasma ME, CA and metabolite levels were similar in the affected and non-affected limbs and a significant increase in plasma ME concentrations was observed in both affected and non-affected limbs after two weeks of steroid treatment. Altogether these results point to an adaptive supersensitivity rather than a sympathetic hyperactivity in this syndrome; also, they indicate that the therapeutic effect of steroids adds, to their known anti-inflammatory action, a stimulatory action on the endogenous opioid system.