Sympathetic nervous system heart rate stimulation

Ecstasy also stimulates the sympathetic nervous system (nerves located outside the brain and spinal cord), causing increases in heart rate and blood pressure. 

Ketamine also can be contrasted to other intravenous drugs in its ability to cause cardiovascular stimulation rather than depression. The observed increases in heart rate and blood pressure appear to be mediated through stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. In a healthy, normovolemic, unpremedicated patient, the initial induction dose of ketamine maintains or stimulates cardiovascular function. In contrast, patients with... 

Unlike isoflurane, desflurane may stimulate the sympathetic nervous system at concentrations above 1 MAC. Sudden and unexpected increases in arterial blood pressure and heart rate have been reported in some patients, accompanied by increases in plasma catecholamine and vasopressin concentrations and increased plasma renin activity. These pressor effects may increase morbidity or mortality in susceptible patients. The mechanism of sympathetic activation is unclear but does not appear to be baroreceptor-mediated. Clonidine, esmolol, fentanyl and propofol partially block the response but lignocaine (lignocaine) is ineffective. 

Autonomic and hormonal control of cardiovascular function. Note that two feedback loops are present the autonomic nervous system loop and the hormonal loop. The sympathetic nervous system directly influences four major variables peripheral vascular resistance, heart rate, force, and venous tone. It also directly modulates renin production (not shown). The parasympathetic nervous system directly influences heart rate. In addition to its role in stimulating aldosterone secretion, angiotensin II directly increases peripheral vascular resistance and facilitates sympathetic effects (not shown). The net feedback effect of each loop is to compensate for changes in arterial blood pressure. Thus, decreased blood pressure due to blood loss would evoke increased sympathetic outflow and renin release. Conversely, elevated pressure due to the administration of a vasoconstrictor drug would cause reduced sympathetic outflow, reduced renin release, and increased parasympathetic (vagal) outflow. 

In addition to its effects on cardiac contractility, digitalis has a direct inhibitory effect on sympathetic nervous system activity.37,60 This effect is beneficial because it decreases stress on the failing heart by decreasing excessive sympathetic stimulation of the heart and peripheral vasculature2. Therapeutic levels of digitalis likewise stabilize heart rate and slow impulse conduc-... 

When injected intravenously, kinins produce a rapid fall in blood pressure that is due to their arteriolar vasodilator action. The hypotensive response to bradykinin is of very brief duration. Intravenous infusions of the peptide fail to produce a sustained decrease in blood pressure prolonged hypotension can only be produced by progressively increasing the rate of infusion. The rapid reversibility of the hypotensive response to kinins is due primarily to reflex increases in heart rate, myocardial contractility, and cardiac output. In some species, bradykinin produces a biphasic change in blood pressure—an initial hypotensive response followed by an increase above the preinjection level. The increase in blood pressure may be due to a reflex activation of the sympathetic nervous system, but under some conditions, bradykinin can directly release catecholamines from the adrenal medulla and stimulate sympathetic ganglia. Bradykinin also increases blood pressure when injected into the central nervous system, but the physiologic significance of this effect is not clear, since it is unlikely that kinins cross the blood-brain barrier. 

Ketamine is the only intravenous anesthetic that possesses analgesic properties and produces cardiovascular stimulation. Heart rate, arterial blood pressure, and cardiac output are usually significantly increased. The peak increases in these variables occur 2-4 minutes after intravenous injection and then slowly decline to normal over the next 10-20 minutes. Ketamine produces its cardiovascular stimulation by excitation of the central sympathetic nervous system and possibly by inhibition of the reuptake of norepinephrine at sympathetic nerve terminals. Increases in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels occur as early as 2 minutes after intravenous ketamine and return to baseline levels 15 minutes later. 

Q5 Jo s tachycardia is due to the activation of the sympathetic nervous system to prepare the body for fight or flight . Stimulation of sympathetic nerves supplying the heart releases noradrenaline, which increases both the rate and force of cardiac muscle contraction via beta-1-receptor (/31-receptor) activation. 

Amphetamines, analeptics, and anorexiants stimulate the release of neurotransmitters, norepinephrine, and dopamine from the brain and from the peripheral nerve terminals of the sympathetic nervous system, resulting in euphoria and increase alertness. Patients can experience sleeplessness, restlessness, tremors, irritability, and cardiovascular problems (increase heart rate, palpitations, dysrhythmias, and hypertension). 

In the peripheral nervous system, norepinephrine is an important neurotransmitter in the sympathetic branch of the autonomic system. Sympathetic nerve transmission operates below the level of consciousness in controlling physiological function of many organs and tissues of the body. The sympathetic system plays a particularly important role in regulating cardiovascular function in response to postural, exertional, thermal, and mental stress. With sympathetic activation, the heart rate is increased, peripheral arterioles are constricted, skeletal arterioles are dilated, and the blood pressure is elevated. In addition, sympathetic nerve stimulation dilates pupils inhibits smooth muscles of the intestines, bronchi, and bladder and closes the sphincters. Sympathetic signals work in balance with the parasympathetic portion of the autonomic nervous system to maintain a stable internal environment. 

Sympathetic neuronal fibers located on the surface of effector cells innervate the a- and j3-receptors. Stimulation of postsynaptic a-receptors (a ) on arterioles and venules results in vasoconstriction. There are two types of postsynaptic j3-receptors, and 2- Both are present in all tissue innervated by the sympathetic nervous system. However, in some tissues, /S -receptors predominate, and in other tissues, /S2-receptors predominate. Stimulation of -receptors in the heart results in an increase in heart rate and contractility, whereas stimulation of /32-receptors in the arterioles and venules causes vasodilation. 

Neural components that participate in the regulation of coronary blood flow include the sympathetic nervous system, the parasympathetic nervous system, coronary reflexes, and possibly, central control of coronary blood flow. Within the sympathetic system, stimulation of the stellate ganglion elicits coronary vasodilation, which is associated with tachycardia and enhanced contractility. This indirect coronary vasodilation is secondary to increased MVO2 related to increased heart rate, contractihty, and aortic pressure and occurs following stellate stimulation. The direct effect of the sympathetic system is a 1-mediated vasoconstriction at rest and during exercise. Other receptor types, 2 and have little influence on tone, whereas /32-stimulation produces a modest vasodUatory effect. Although coronary atherosclerosis may decrease blood flow secondary to obstruction, severe coronary atherosclerosis and obstruction also may increase the sensitivity of coronary arteries to the effects of aj-stimulation and vasoconstriction. 

Lundy and McKay studied the effects of CR on the cardiovascular system. These studies examined the effects of CR, administered via the i.v. route, on cardiovascular activity. A dose-dependent increase in blood pressure of short duration was observed. Stimulation of the heart rate and increased arterial catecholamine content were also noted following treatment with CR. The authors postulated that the CR-induced cardiovascular effect was related to sympathetic nervous system effects as evidenced by the abolition of CR-induced pressor effect by phentolamine and... 

Cardiovascular System Desflurane lowers blood pressure—primarily by decreasing systemic vascular resistance—and has a modest negative inotropic effect. Thus, cardiac output is preserved, as is perfusion of major organ beds (e.g., splanchnic, renal, cerebral, and coronary). Marked increases in heart rate often occur during induction of desflurane anesthesia and with abrupt increases in the delivered concentration of desflurane this results from desflurane-induced stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system. The hypotensive effects of desflurane do not wane with increasing duration of administration. 

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. 

Hydralazine (apresoline) causes direct relaxation of arteriolar smooth muscle, possibly secondary to a fall in intracellular Ca concentrations. The drug does not dilate epicardial coronary arteries or relax venous smooth muscle. Hydralazine-induced vasodilation is associated with powerful stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, likely due to baroreceptor-mediated reflexes, which results in increased heart rate and contractility, increased plasma renin activity, and fluid retention all of these effects counteract the antihypertensive effect of hydralazine. Although most of the sympathetic activity is due to a baroreceptor-mediated reflex, hydralazine may stimulate NE release from sympathetic nerve terminals and augment myocardial contractility directly. Most of hydralazine s effects are confined to the cardiovascular system the decrease in blood pressure after administration is associated with a selective decrease in vascular resistance in the coronary, cerebral, and renal circulations, with a smaller effect in skin and muscle. Because of preferential dilation of arterioles, postural hypotension is not common, and hydralazine lowers blood pressure equally in the supine and upright positions. 

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