Cardiac Activity Heart rate

The activation of SIP receptors reduces renal and mesenteric blood flow in rats (Bischoff et ah, 2001), and it can be speculated that decreased blood flow and hypoxia contribute to the extreme sensitivity of rat kidneys to fumonisins. Fumonisin exposure has also been shown to decrease cardiac output, heart rate, and mean arterial pressure as well as increase pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary resistance in pigs (Constable et ah, 2000,2003), findings which suggest that left-sided cardiac insufficiency underlies porcine pulmonary edema. Plasma sphingoid base... 

Carbon dioxide is a rapid, potent stimulus to ventilation. Inhalation of 10% CO can produce minute volumes of 75 L/min in normal individuals. Carbon dioxide acts at multiple sites to stimulate ventilation. Elevated Pco causes bronchodilation, whereas hypocarbia causes constriction of airway smooth muscle these responses may play a role in matching pulmonary ventilation and perfusion. Circulatory effects of CO result from the combination of direct local effects and centrally mediated effects on the autonomic nervous system. The direct effects are diminished contractility of the heart and vascular smooth muscle (vasodilation). The indirect effects result from the capacity of CO to activate the sympathetic nervous system these indirect effects generally oppose the local effects ofCO. Thus, the balance of opposing local and sympathetic effects determines the total circulatory response to CO. The net effect of CO inhalation is an increase in cardiac output, heart rate, and blood pressure. In blood vessels, however, the direct vasodilating actions of carbon dioxide appear more important, and total peripheral resistance decreases when the Pco is increased CO also is a potent coronary vasodilator. Cardiac arrhythmias associated with increased Pco are due to the release of catecholamines. 

The total blood volume is unevenly distributed. About 84 percent of the entire blood volume is in the systemic circulation, with 64 percent in the veins, 13 percent in the arteries, and 7 percent in the arterioles and capillaries. The heart contains 7 percent of blood volume and the pulmonary vessels 9 percent. At normal resting activities heart rate of an adult is about 75 beats/min with a stroke volume of typically 70 mL/beat. The cardiac output, the amount of blood pumped each minute, is thus 5.25 L/min. It declines with age. During intense exercise, heart rate may increase to 150 beats/ min and stroke volume to 130 mL/beat, providing a cardiac output of about 20 L/min. Under normal conditions the distribution of blood flow to the various organs is brain, 14 percent heart, 4 percent kidneys, 22 percent liver, 27 percent inactive muscles, 15 percent bones, 5 percent skin, 6 percent ... 

Some P-adrenoceptor blockers have intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA) or partial agonist activity (PAA). They activate P-adrenoceptors before blocking them. Theoretically, patients taking P-adrenoceptor blockers with ISA should not have cold extremities because the dmg produces minimal decreases in peripheral blood flow (smaller increases in resistance). In addition, these agents should produce minimal depression of heart rate and cardiac output, either at rest or during exercise (36). 

P-Adrenoceptor Blockers. There is no satisfactory mechanism to explain the antihypertensive activity of P-adrenoceptor blockers (see Table 1) in humans particularly after chronic treatment (228,231—233). Reductions in heart rate correlate well with decreases in blood pressure and this may be an important mechanism. Other proposed mechanisms include reduction in PRA, reduction in cardiac output, and a central action. However, pindolol produces an antihypertensive effect without lowering PRA. In long-term treatment, the cardiac output is restored despite the decrease in arterial blood pressure and total peripheral resistance. Atenolol (Table 1), which does not penetrate into the brain is an efficacious antihypertensive agent. In short-term treatment, the blood flow to most organs (except the brain) is reduced and the total peripheral resistance may increase. 

Glonidine. Clonidine decreases blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, stroke volume, and total peripheral resistance. It activates central a2 adrenoceptors ia the brainstem vasomotor center and produces a prolonged hypotensive response. Clonidine, most efficaciously used concomitantly with a diuretic in long-term treatment, decreases renin and aldosterone secretion. 

Cromakalim. Cromakalim has along half-life (254). Cromakalim at an oral dose of 1.5 mg ia humans significantly lowers blood pressure 19/12 mm Hg (systohc/diastoHc pressure). It iacreases reaal blood flow, PRA, and heart rate. Cromakalim has bronchodilating activity that is beneficial for hypertensive asthmatic patients. Because of some undesirable effects seen ia cardiac papillary muscles of animals oa long-term treatmeat, future clinical trials are to be carried out usiag the active enantiomer, lemakalim (BRL 38227). 

Although blood pressure control follows Ohm s law and seems to be simple, it underlies a complex circuit of interrelated systems. Hence, numerous physiologic systems that have pleiotropic effects and interact in complex fashion have been found to modulate blood pressure. Because of their number and complexity it is beyond the scope of the current account to cover all mechanisms and feedback circuits involved in blood pressure control. Rather, an overview of the clinically most relevant ones is presented. These systems include the heart, the blood vessels, the extracellular volume, the kidneys, the nervous system, a variety of humoral factors, and molecular events at the cellular level. They are intertwined to maintain adequate tissue perfusion and nutrition. Normal blood pressure control can be related to cardiac output and the total peripheral resistance. The stroke volume and the heart rate determine cardiac output. Each cycle of cardiac contraction propels a bolus of about 70 ml blood into the systemic arterial system. As one example of the interaction of these multiple systems, the stroke volume is dependent in part on intravascular volume regulated by the kidneys as well as on myocardial contractility. The latter is, in turn, a complex function involving sympathetic and parasympathetic control of heart rate intrinsic activity of the cardiac conduction system complex membrane transport and cellular events requiring influx of calcium, which lead to myocardial fibre shortening and relaxation and affects the humoral substances (e.g., catecholamines) in stimulation heart rate and myocardial fibre tension. 

Fast DHP-induced lowering of blood pressure results in compensatory sympathetic activation and a subsequent increase in heart rate and cardiac oxygen demand. This unfavorable effect has been mainly associated with the use of short-acting DHPs, such as nonretarded formulations of nifedipine, nitrendipine, or... 

Peripheral mAChRs are known to mediate the well-documented actions of ACh at parasympathetically innervated effector tissues (organs) including heart, endocrine and exocrine glands, and smooth muscle tissues [2, 4]. The most prominent peripheral actions mediated by activation of these receptors are reduced heart rate and cardiac contractility, contraction of... 

YuXC et al. (2001) Cardiac effects of the extract and active components of Radix stephaniae tetrandrae II. Myocardial infarct, arrhythmias, coronary arterial flow and heart rate in the isolated perfused rat heart. Life Sci 68(25) 2863-2872... 

Norepinephrine is a potent a-adrenergic agent with less pronounced P-adrenergic activity. Doses of 0.01 to 3 mcg/kg per minute can reliably increase blood pressure with small changes in heart rate or cardiac index. Norepinephrine is a more potent agent than dopamine in refractory septic shock.24,27-28... 

The primary function of the heart is to deliver a sufficient volume of blood (oxygen and nutrients, etc.) to the tissues so that they may carry out their functions effectively. As the metabolic activity of a tissue varies, so will its need for blood. An important factor involved in meeting this demand is cardiac output (CO) or the volume of blood pumped into the aorta per minute. Cardiac output is determined by heart rate multiplied by stroke volume ... 

Body temperature also affects heart rate by altering the rate of discharge of the SA node. An increase of 1°F in body temperature results in an increase in heart rate of about 10 beats per minute. Therefore, the increase in body temperature during a fever or that which accompanies exercise serves to increase heart rate and, as a result, cardiac output. This enhanced pumping action of the heart delivers more blood to the tissues and supports the increased metabolic activity associated with these conditions. 

Figure 15.5 Effects of sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous activity on mean arterial pressure. The parasympathetic nervous system innervates the heart and therefore influences heart rate and cardiac output. The sympathetic nervous system innervates the heart and veins and thus influences cardiac output. This system also innervates the arterioles and therefore influences total peripheral resistance. The resulting changes in cardiac output and total peripheral resistance regulate mean arterial pressure.

Clonidine, guanabenz, guanfacine, and methyldopa lower BP primarily by stimulating a2-adrenergic receptors in the brain, which reduces sympathetic outflow from the vasomotor center and increases vagal tone. Stimulation of presynaptic oq-receptors peripherally may contribute to the reduction in sympathetic tone. Consequently, there may be decreases in heart rate, cardiac output, total peripheral resistance, plasma renin activity, and baroreceptor reflexes. 

Hydralazine and minoxidil cause direct arteriolar smooth muscle relaxation. Compensatory activation of baroreceptor reflexes results in increased sympathetic outflow from the vasomotor center, producing an increase in heart rate, cardiac output, and renin release. Consequently, the hypotensive effectiveness of direct vasodilators diminishes over time unless the patient is also taking a sympathetic inhibitor and a diuretic. 

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