• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.27 no.1
• /
• pp.67-77
• /
• 1993

Acute and chronic effects of ethanol (EOH) administration on the cardiovascular and hormonal responses to repeated hemorrhage were investigated in conscious normotensive Wistar rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). The chronic EOH treated group received 5% EOH (vol/vol) ad libitum in the drinking water far the first week,10% for the last 2 weeks, and 20% for the last 5 weeks from the age of 6 weeks. The EOH free group received tap water. Chronic EOH and EOH free groups were randomly subdivided into acute EOH infusion and control groups. Under ether anesthesia, catheters were inserted into the femoral vein and both femoral arteries. After rats regained consciousness and their blood pressure was stabilized, responses to quick hemorrhage (5 ml/kg BW) were tested. In the acute EOH infusion group, hemorrhage was induced 20 min after EOH infusion (1.0 g/kg BW), Baroreceptor reflex sensitivity was assessed by the ratio of changes in hen.1 rate and mean arterial pressure (${\Delta}HR/{\Delta}MAP$) immediately after the hemorrhage. Chronic EOH administration elevated MAP in Wistar rats. During acute EOH infusion, MAP do- creased and HR increased in all groups. In comparison to EOH free control rats, acute or chronic EOH treated rats showed a greater reduction in MAP and a smaller elevation in heart rate in response to a hemorrhage. The degree of MAP reduction was significantly greater in SHR than in Wistar rats. Both the acute and chronic EOH administration attenuated the baroreceptor reflex and retarded MAP recovery, again the trend being much more prominent in SHR. The increase in plasma vasopressin and lenin concentrations after hemorrhage were intensified by the chronic EOH administration. SHR showed a greater vasopressin response but a smaller lenin response than Wistar rats. These results indicate that the EOH treated rats, particularly SHB, are prone to shock by a hemorrhage, which may be partly attributed to an impaired baroreceptor reflex function.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.91-102
• /
• 1995

The role of neurohumoral mechanisms in the regulation of cardiovascular functions and the effects of ethanol (EOH) on these mechanisms were examined in hemorrhaged conscious Wistar rats. The rats were bled at a constant rate (2 ml/kg/min) through the femoral artery until mean arterial pressure (MAP) was reduced by 30 mmHg. We studied the responses to hemorrhage 1) under normal conditions (Normal), and after pretreatments with 2) neural blockade (NB), pentolinium, 3) arginine vasopressin V1-receptor antagonist (AVPX) + NB, 4) angiotensin II ATI-receptor antagonist (AngIIX) + NB, 5) combined humoral blockade (HB), and 6) neurohumoral blockade. Intravenous administration of 30% EOH (6.3 ml/kg) attenuated the baroreceptor reflex sensitivity, and enhanced the depressor action of AngIIX. During hemorrhage, NB produced a faster fall ill MAP than Normal both in the saline and EOH groups. However, HB accelerated the rate of fall in MAP only in the EOH group. The recovery from hemorrhagic hypotension was not different between NB and Normal rats, but was attenuated in HB rats in the saline group. Under NB, AngIIX, but not AVPX, retarded the recovery rate compared with NB alone. EOH attenuated the recovery of MAP after hemorrhage in Normal rats, but completely abolished the recovery in HB rats. We conclude that 1) the maintenance of MAP during hemorrhage is mediated almost entirely by the autonomic functions, 2) angiotensin II plays an important role in the recovery from hemorrhagic hypotension, but AVP assumes little importance, 3) AVP release largely depends on the changes in blood volume, whereas renin release depends on the changes in blood pressure rather than blood volume, and 4) EOH increases the dependence of cardiovascular regulation on angiotensin II and impairs the recovery from hemorrhagic hypotension through the attenuation of autonomic functions.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
• /
• v.8 no.2
• /
• pp.89-94
• /
• 2004

The arterial pressure is regulated by the nervous and humoral mechanisms. The neuronal regulation is mostly carried out by the autonomic nervous system through the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), a key area for the cardiovascular regulation, and the humoral regulation is mediated by a number of substances, including the angiotensin (Ang) II and vasopressin. Recent studies suggest that central interleukin-1 (IL-1) activates the sympathetic nervous system and produces hypertension. The present study was undertaken to elucidate whether IL-1 and Ang II interact in the regulation of cardiovascular responses to the stress of hemorrhage. Thus, Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized and both femoral arteries were cannulated for direct measurement of arterial pressure and heart rate (HR) and for inducing hemorrhage. A guide cannula was placed into the lateral ventricle for injection of IL-1 $(0.1,\;1,\;10,\;20\;ng/2\;{\mu}l)$ or Ang II $(600\;ng/10\;{\mu}l)$. A glass microelectrode was inserted into the RVLM to record the single unit spike potential. Barosensitive neurons were identified by an increased number of single unit spikes in RVLM following intravenous injection of nitroprusside. I.c.v. $IL-1\;{\beta}$ increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) in a dose-dependent fashion, but HR in a dose-independent pattern. The baroreceptor reflex sensitivity was not affected by i.c.v. $IL-1\;{\beta}$. Both i.c.v. $IL-1\;{\alpha}\;and\;{\beta}$ produced similar increase in MAP and HR. When hemorrhage was induced after i.c.v. injection of $IL-1\;{\beta}$, the magnitude of MAP fall was not different from the control. The $IL-1\;{\beta}$ group showed a smaller decrease in HR and a lower spike potential count in RVLM than the control. MAP fall in response to hemorrhage after i.c.v. injection of Ang II was not different from the control. When both IL-1 and Ang II were simultaneously injected i.c.v., however, MAP fall was significantly smaller than the control, and HR was increased rather than decreased. These data suggest that IL-1, a defense immune mediator, manifests a hypertensive action in the central nervous system and attenuates the hypotensive response to hemorrhage by interaction with Ang II.

• The Korean Journal of Pharmacology
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.1-11
• /
• 1989

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the role of serotonergic neurotransmission in nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) for the central regulation of blood pressure and heart rate and its involvement in baroreceptor reflex activation in rats. A microinjection of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) into the NTS produced decreases in blood pressure and heart rate. Maximal decreases were $34.4{\pm}1.6$ mmHg and $41.7{\pm}10.2$ beats per min by 300 pmol of 5-HT. Microinjections of ${\alpha}-methylnor-adrenaline$ $({\alpha}-MNE)$ and clonidine manifested similar decreases in blood pressure and heart rate. The hypotensive and bradycardial effects of 5-HT were blocked by previous applications of 5-HT antagonists, ritanserin, methysergide and ketanserin into the NTS, respectively. By pretreatment with reserpine and 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA, i.c.v.), both hypotensive and bradycardial effects of 5-HT were significantly attenuated. Pretreatment with 5, 7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT, i.c.v.) enhanced the hypotensive and bradycardial effects of 5-HT. Similarly, following pretreatment with 6-OHDA, the effects of clonidine were increased. Pretreatment either with 5,7-DHT or 6-OHDA significantly attenuated the sensitivity of baroreflex produced either by phenylephrine or by sodium nitroprusside. When either 5,7-DHT or 6-OHDA was injected into the NTS $(5,7-DHT;\;8{\mu}g\;6-OHDA;\;10{\mu}g)$, both of the baroreflex sensitivities were impaired. In the immunohistochemical study, the injection of 6-OHDA into the the NTS led to reduction of axon terminal varicosity, however, the injection did not reduce the numbers of catecholaminergic cell bodies. Likewise, when 5,7-DHT was injected into the NTS, the varicosity of serotonergic axon terminals was markedly reduced. Based on these results, it is suggested that (1) stimulation of serotonergic receptors in the NTS leads to decreases in blood pressure and heart rate as observed with the stimulation of catecholaminergic system, (2) both serotonergic and catecholaminergic receptors may be located postsynaptically, and (3) the serotonergic neurons as well as catecholaminergic neurons may have a close relevance for the activation of baroreflex.