J Physiol Wellcome Trust-funded researchers
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
 QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


J Physiol Vol 268, Issue 3 pp 775-791
Copyright © 1977 by The Physiological Society
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Arndt, J O
Right arrow Articles by Samodelov, L
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Arndt, J O
Right arrow Articles by Samodelov, L

The physiologically relevant information regarding systemic blood pressure encoded in the carotid sinus baroreceptor discharge pattern.

J O Arndt, J Morgenstern and L Samodelov

1. The objective was to find out what kind of informatioon regarding systemic blood pressure is transduced by baroreceptors in vivo and how this information is coded in the receptor discharge. 2. Carotid sinus pressure, e.c.g., and receptor action potentials were recorded for fifty-two single fibre carotid sinus receptors found in twenty decerebrated unanaesthetized cats. 3. The inflation and gradual deflation of an intraaortic catheter tip balloon manipulated the blood pressure in the carotid sinus in a way as to define the full in vivo stimulus-response curve for each receptor. 4. Correlation coefficients were computed between stimulus and response variables for several points on the response curve of each receptor and for every possible combination of stimulus and response variables defined. 5. Stimulus variables were (a) systolic, (b) diastolic,, (c) mean, (d) pulse pressures and (e) peak positive dP/dt. Response variables were (a) average discharge rat, (b) peak instantaneous frequency, and (c) average burst frequency. 6. For every fibre in the sample only the correlations between systolic, diastolic and mean pressures vs. average discharge rate were consistently high and positive. All other correlations were numerically low and/or negative. 7. It was concluded that in vivo baroreceptors signal mainly pressure level (systolic, diastolic or mean) as opposed to pulse pressure or dP/dt, and that the average discharge rate is their best index of information content.







HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1977 The Physiological Society.