The role of the nervous system for rapid control

of arterial pressure, special feature of nervous

control of arterial pressure
Nervous control of the circulation has more global
functions, such as: Redistributing blood flow to
different areas of the body, Increasing or
decreasing pumping activity by the heart, Providing
very rapid control of systemic arterial pressure.
The nervous system controls the circulation almost
entirely through the autonomic nervous system.
Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic Nervous System.
- Sympathetic nervous system is the most
important part of the autonomic nervous system for
regulating the circulation.
-
- Sympathetic stimulation maredly increases the activity of the heart, both increasing the heart rate and
enhancing its strength and volume of pumping.
- Sympathetic vasoconstrictor effect is especially powerful in the idneys, intestines, spleen, and sin but
much less potent in seletal muscle and the brain.
Parasympathetic Control of Heart Function
- Plays only a minor role in regulation of the circulation !vagus nerves"
- #unction: decrease in heart rate and a slight decrease in heart muscle contractility.
Vasomotor Center in the Brain and ts Control of the Vasoconstrictor System
- $asomotor %enter: &ocated bilaterally mainly in the reticular substance of the medulla and of the lower
third of the pons.
- This center transmits parasympathetic impulses through the vagus nerves to the heart and transmits
sympathetic impulses through the spinal cord and peripheral sympathetic nerves to virtually all arteries,
arterioles, and veins of the body.
- $asomotor center also controls heart activity' can either increase or decrease heart activity.
- (ypothalamus plays a special role in controlling the vasoconstrictor system.
!ole of the Nervous System in !apid Control of Arterial Pressure
Three ma)or changes occur simultaneously, each of which helps to increase arterial pressure:
*. +lmost all arterioles of the systemic circulation are constricted.
,. The veins especially !but the other large vessels of the circulation as well" are strongly constricted.
-. #inally, the heart itself is directly stimulated by the autonomic nervous system, further enhancing cardiac
pumping.
Nervous control of arterial pressure is by far the most rapid of all our mechanisms for pressure control.
In most heavy e.ercise/alarm reaction, the arterial pressure rises about -0 to 10 per cent, which increases
blood flow almost an additional twofold. 2echanism: +t the same time that the motor areas of the brain
become activated to cause e.ercise, most of the reticular activating system of the brain stem is also
activated, which includes greatly increased stimulation of the vasoconstrictor and cardio acceleratory areas
of the vasomotor center. These increase the arterial pressure instantaneously to eep pace with the increase
in muscle activity.
!efle" #echanisms for #aintainin$ Normal Arterial Pressure% The 3aroreceptor +rterial Pressure %ontrol
System: 3aroreceptor Refle.es: + rise in arterial pressure stretches the baroreceptors and causes them to
transmit signals into the central nervous system.
Physiolo$ic Anatomy of the Baroreceptors and Their nnervation
&ocation:
!*" the wall of each internal carotid artery slightly above the carotid bifurcation !carotid sinus"
!," the wall of the aortic arch.
Response of the 3aroreceptors to Pressure:
- %arotid baroreceptors: respond progressively at about 40/50 to *60 mm (g.
- +ortic baroreceptors:respond at pressure levels about -0 mm (g higher.
- In the normal operating range of arterial pressure, around *00 mm (g, even a slight change in pressure
causes a strong change in the barorefle. signal to read)ust arterial pressure bac toward normal.
3aroreceptor feedbac mechanism functions most effectively in the pressure range where it is most needed.
Circulatory !efle" nitiated &y the Baroreceptors
- 3aroreceptor signals have entered the tractus solitaries of the medulla
- Secondary signals inhibit the vasoconstrictor center of the medulla and e.cite the vagal parasympathetic
center.
- The ffects are :
vasodilation of the veins and arterioles throughout the peripheral circulatory system and
decreased heart rate and strength of heart contraction.
- The baroreceptors become inactive and lose their inhibitory effect on the vasomotor center.
- The ability of the baroreceptors to maintain relatively constant arterial pressure in the upper body is
important when a person stands up after having been lying down.
- The baroreceptor system opposes either increases or decreases in arterial pressure are called a pressure
buffer system.
- +lthough the arterial baroreceptors provide powerful moment7to7moment control of arterial pressure,
their importance in long7term blood pressure regulation has been controversial' they tend to reset in * to ,
days to the pressure level to which they are e.posed.
- In prolonged increases of arterial pressure, the baroreceptor refle.es may mediate decreases in renal
sympathetic nerve activity that promote increased e.cretion of sodium and water by the idneys' causes a
gradual decrease in blood volume, which helps to restore arterial pressure toward normal.
Control of Arterial Pressure &y the Carotid and Aortic Chemoreceptors '(ffect of )"y$en *ac+ on
Arterial Pressure,
- The chemoreceptors are chemosensitive cells sensitive to o.ygen lac, carbon dio.ide e.cess, and
hydrogen ion e.cess.
- &ocated in several small chemoreceptor organs about , millimeters in si8e.
- 2echanism: 9henever the arterial pressure falls below a critical level, the chemoreceptors become
stimulated because diminished blood flow causes decreased o.ygen as well as e.cess buildup of carbon dio.ide
and hydrogen ions that are not removed by the slowly flowing blood. The signals transmitted from the
chemoreceptors e.cite the vasomotor center, and this elevates the arterial pressure bac toward normal.
- 9ors when the arterial pressure falls below 60 mm (g.
Atrial and Pulmonary Artery !efle"es That Help !e$ulate Arterial Pressure and )ther Circulatory
Factors
- +rtial and pulmonary low7pressure receptors play an important role, especially in minimi8ing arterial
pressure changes in response to changes in blood volume.
Atrial !efle"es That Activate the -idneys 'The .Volume !efle",.
- Stretch of the atria also causes significant refle. dilation of the afferent arterioles in the idneys.
- :ecrease secretion of antidiuretic hormone.
- The decreased afferent arteriolar resistance in the idneys causes the glomerular capillary pressure to
rise, with resultant increase in filtration of fluid into the idney tubules.
- The decrease of antidiuretic hormone diminishes the reabsorption of water from the tubules. %ombination
of these two effects; increase in glomerular filtration and decrease in reabsorption of the fluid;increases
fluid loss by the idneys and reduces an increased blood volume bac toward normal.
Atrial !efle" Control of Heart !ate 'the Bain&rid$e !efle",
- +n increase in atrial pressure also causes an increase in heart rate, sometimes increasing the heart rate as
much as <4 per cent.+ small part of this increase is caused by a direct effect of the increased atrial volume
to stretch the sinus node: it was pointed out in %hapter *0 that such direct stretch can increase the heart
rate as much as *4 per cent. +n additional 10 to 50 per cent increase in rate is caused by a nervous refle.
called the 3ainbridge refle..The stretch receptors of the atria that elicit the 3ainbridge refle. transmit
their afferent signals through the vagus nerves to the medulla of the brain. Then efferent signals are
transmitted bac through vagal and sympathetic nerves to increase heart rate and strength of heart
contraction. Thus, this refle. helps prevent damming of blood in the veins, atria, and pulmonary circulation.
Central Nervous System schemic !esponse% Control of Arterial Pressure &y the Brain/s Vasomotor
Center in !esponse to 0iminished Brain Blood Flo1
2echanism:
- #ailure of the slowly flowing blood to carry carbon dio.ide away from the brain stem vasomotor center
- +t low levels of blood flow to the vasomotor center, the local concentration of carbon dio.ide increases
greatly and has an e.tremely potent effect in stimulating the sympathetic vasomotor nervous control areas in
the brain=s medulla.
- The degree of sympathetic vasoconstriction caused by intense cerebral ischemia is often so great that
some of the peripheral vessels become totally or almost totally occluded. %NS ischemic response is one of the
most powerful of all the activators of the sympathetic vasoconstrictor system.