Premium
Control of muscle sympathetic nerve activity in men and women: calculation of “error signal” and its relationship to resting blood pressure
Author(s) -
Wehrwein Erica,
Joyner Michael J,
Hart Emma CJ,
Vaa Brianna,
Strom Nicholas,
Wallin B. Gunnar,
Charkoudian Nisha
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.23.1_supplement.806.6
Subject(s) - blood pressure , baroreflex , medicine , cardiology , sympathetic nervous system , heart rate , endocrinology
Sympathetic neural control has a central role in the regulation of blood pressure. In humans, muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) is strongly controlled by the arterial baroreflex. Our goal was to evaluate a calculation of blood pressure "error signal" for MSNA burst occurrence and test if there was a gender difference in the relationship between this signal and resting blood pressure. Baseline MSNA was measured in healthy young men (n=49) and women (n=23). T50 (the DBP at which there is a 50% likelihood of an MSNA burst) was calculated. Mean DBP was subtracted from the T50 as an approximate "error signal" for burst activation. We found a positive relationship between this "error signal" and MSNA (bursts/100 heartbeats; BI) in both young men (slope=0.19, r 2 =0.67, p<0.001) and women (slope=0.32, r 2 =0.78, p<0.001). Thus, if DBP was lower than T50, there was an increased likelihood of MSNA bursts and vice versa. Women had a greater average "error signal" (i.e., mean T50 ‐ DBP = ‐5 ± 1 in women and ‐2 ± 0.4 in men), a 59 % steeper slope of the error signal:MSNA relationship, and lower mean BI (31 ± 2 vs 42 ± 4, p<0.05), suggesting that mechanisms exist in women to counteract the larger "driving force" for generation of a MSNA burst. These apparent gender differences in control of MSNA may contribute to differences in prevalence of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension. NIH HL83947, UL1‐RR24150, Swedish Research Council 12170.