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Influence of sympathetic stimulation on the mechanical properties of the aorta in humans

Sonesson, Björn LU ; Vernersson, Einar LU ; Hansen, Flemming and Länne, Toste (1997) In Acta Physiologica Scandinavica 159(2). p.139-145
Abstract
The mechanical properties of the aorta play a major role in the regulation of blood pressure and cardiac performance. The effect of sympathetic stimulation on the mechanical properties of the human abdominal aorta was studied in 19 healthy volunteers, divided into young (25 +/- 2 years) and elderly individuals (69 +/- 2 years) of both sexes. A non-invasive ultrasonic echo-tracking system for measurement of systolic/diastolic variation of aortic diameter in combination with intra-aortic pressure measurements was used to determine wall mechanics. The pressure-diameter (P-D) relationship and the distensibility indices, stiffness (beta) and pressure strain elastic modulus (Ep) of the abdominal aorta were obtained. Measurements were made at... (More)
The mechanical properties of the aorta play a major role in the regulation of blood pressure and cardiac performance. The effect of sympathetic stimulation on the mechanical properties of the human abdominal aorta was studied in 19 healthy volunteers, divided into young (25 +/- 2 years) and elderly individuals (69 +/- 2 years) of both sexes. A non-invasive ultrasonic echo-tracking system for measurement of systolic/diastolic variation of aortic diameter in combination with intra-aortic pressure measurements was used to determine wall mechanics. The pressure-diameter (P-D) relationship and the distensibility indices, stiffness (beta) and pressure strain elastic modulus (Ep) of the abdominal aorta were obtained. Measurements were made at rest and during sympathetic stimulation induced by lower body negative pressure (LBNP). As a sign of sympathetic activation, the peripheral resistance increased by 74-96% (P < 0.001) during LBNP. However, the mechanical properties of the abdominal aorta remained unaltered, as estimated either from the P-D relationship or from the indices Ep and beta, both in the young (rest: Ep = 0.53 +/- 0.18, beta = 4.5 +/- 1.5; LBNP: Ep = 0.51 +/- 0.15, beta = 4.5 +/- 1.2, NS) and in the elderly (rest: Ep = 2.17 +/- 0.70, beta = 17.6 +/- 5.8; LBNP: Ep = 2.11 +/- 0.60, beta = 16.9 +/- 3.9, NS). In conclusion, this investigation shows that LBNP-induced sympathetic activation does not change aortic wall mechanics. Thus, sympathetic modulation of the aortic smooth muscle contractile activity seems to be unimportant in the blood pressure regulation. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
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in
Acta Physiologica Scandinavica
volume
159
issue
2
pages
139 - 145
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:9055941
  • scopus:0031029931
ISSN
0001-6772
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Emergency medicine/Medicine/Surgery (013240200), Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (Mö) (013241110)
id
6410d4e4-dbe0-44e1-8e33-73498c9dc93d (old id 1112262)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:20:31
date last changed
2022-01-28 04:54:09
@article{6410d4e4-dbe0-44e1-8e33-73498c9dc93d,
  abstract     = {{The mechanical properties of the aorta play a major role in the regulation of blood pressure and cardiac performance. The effect of sympathetic stimulation on the mechanical properties of the human abdominal aorta was studied in 19 healthy volunteers, divided into young (25 +/- 2 years) and elderly individuals (69 +/- 2 years) of both sexes. A non-invasive ultrasonic echo-tracking system for measurement of systolic/diastolic variation of aortic diameter in combination with intra-aortic pressure measurements was used to determine wall mechanics. The pressure-diameter (P-D) relationship and the distensibility indices, stiffness (beta) and pressure strain elastic modulus (Ep) of the abdominal aorta were obtained. Measurements were made at rest and during sympathetic stimulation induced by lower body negative pressure (LBNP). As a sign of sympathetic activation, the peripheral resistance increased by 74-96% (P &lt; 0.001) during LBNP. However, the mechanical properties of the abdominal aorta remained unaltered, as estimated either from the P-D relationship or from the indices Ep and beta, both in the young (rest: Ep = 0.53 +/- 0.18, beta = 4.5 +/- 1.5; LBNP: Ep = 0.51 +/- 0.15, beta = 4.5 +/- 1.2, NS) and in the elderly (rest: Ep = 2.17 +/- 0.70, beta = 17.6 +/- 5.8; LBNP: Ep = 2.11 +/- 0.60, beta = 16.9 +/- 3.9, NS). In conclusion, this investigation shows that LBNP-induced sympathetic activation does not change aortic wall mechanics. Thus, sympathetic modulation of the aortic smooth muscle contractile activity seems to be unimportant in the blood pressure regulation.}},
  author       = {{Sonesson, Björn and Vernersson, Einar and Hansen, Flemming and Länne, Toste}},
  issn         = {{0001-6772}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{139--145}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Acta Physiologica Scandinavica}},
  title        = {{Influence of sympathetic stimulation on the mechanical properties of the aorta in humans}},
  volume       = {{159}},
  year         = {{1997}},
}