Cardiac Reflexes Conducted by Vagal Afferents in Normotensive and Renal Hypertensive Dogs

Abstract

1. The renal sympathetic reflex responses to transient balloon occlusion of the descending aorta (systemic baroreceptor activation) and the ascending aorta (cardiac stretch-receptor activation) have been studied together with blood pressure increases after successive cutting of carotid sinus, aortic and vagus nerves in acute experiments in the dog. 2. Results from these experiments provide evidence for cardiac vagal afferent participation in the tonic regulation of systemic blood pressure. 3. In other experiments the reflex pressure-response curve of the isolated gracilis muscle at constant flow to transient ascending aorta occlusion was measured. This curve was moved to the right in renal hypertensive dogs as compared with normotensive dogs. The threshold response of left ventricular vagal afferent nerves was shifted to higher left ventricular pressure in the former. 3. These findings indicate resetting of ventricular receptors in hypertensive animals.