Nervous control of arterial

pressure

Subject: Physiology
by: Omar Nuhic
 Content:
Autonomic nervous system
Vasomotor center
VMC function
Vasovagal syncope
Arterial pressure during exercise
Baroreceptor reflexes
Chemoreceptor reflexes
CNS ischemic respons
Questions
Autonomic nervous system

Playes major role in controling circulation

Sympathetic
- HR,contractility
- Norepinephrine
- Affects blood vessels
- Rate blood flow decreased, resistance increased

Parasympathetic
- HR,contractility
- Acetylcholine
Autonomic nervous system
Brain (vasomotor) center
Vasoconstrictor area
- AL portions of upper medulla
- Spinal cord
- preganglionic vasoconstrictor neurons of SNS
Vasodilator area
- PL portion of lower medulla
- project upward to the vasoconstriction area
inhibiting it, causing vasodilation
Brain(vasomotor) center
Sensory area

- nucleus tractus solitarius

- PL of medulla and lower pons

- vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves

Brain(vasomotor) center
Function of the vasomotor
center
Vasoconstrictor area of VMC transmits signals
continuously to sympathetic nerve fibers called
sympathetic vasoconstrictor tone.
Lateral portions of VMC
- transmits excitatory impulses through sympathetic
nerve fibers
- increased blood pressure
Medial portion
- sends signal to dorsal motor nuclei of the vagus
nerves
- decreased blood pressure
VMC neurotransmitters affects
vessel function
Vasoconstrictor
- Norepinephrine mainly
Adrenal medulla
- Epinephrine and norepinephrine
- Alfa adrenergic receptors
Epinephrine
- Vasodilation
- Beta2 adrenergic receptors
Vasovagal syncope
Arterial pressure while
exercising

Increased manily by effects of the nervous

system(HR, venous return, heart strength)

Pressure rises by 30 to 40 percent which

increases blood flow almost an additional
twofold
 Baroreceptor reflex
Carotid sinus
- small Herings nerves
- glossopharyngeal nerves
- nucleus tractus solitarius
Aoritc arch
- vagus nerves
- nucleus tractus solitarius
Baroreceptor function

Excite vagal parasympathetic center

Inhibit the vasoconstrictor center of
the medulla
Vasodilation
Heart rate and streght of heart
contraction
In total = pressure
 Chemoreceptors
Location: Carotid bodies on aortic arch and
carotid bifurcation(internal mainly)

Chemosensitive to: lack of O2, excess CO2,

and excess H+ ions

Stimulated bellow 80 mmHg

Sympathetic activity
to restore blood pressure to normal
Chemoreceptor location
CNS ischemic respons

Activated when cerebral ischemia occurs

Reduced cerebral blood flow, CO2 build up

Stimulation of vasomotor center

(Sympathetic NS)

Blood pressure
 Questions
1. Division od ANS (autonomic nervous system)
2. How many vasomotor areas do we have?
3. What does epinephrine do through Beta 2
adrenergic receptors?
4. Location of baroreceptors and chemoreceptors?
5. Difference between them
6. Does baroreceptors increase or decrease blood
pressue?
7. What about chemoreceptors?
8. What CNS ischemic respons stimulates?( which
nervous system)