Drugs and the parasympathetic nervous system.
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Cholinesterase Inhibitors↗
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How drugs act--second series. 1. Drugs and the parasympathetic nervous system.
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Humans↗
Body fat and the activity of the autonomic nervous system.
The cause of most cases of human obesity is unknown. Specific alterations in the activity of the autonomic nervous system may mediate and perhaps cause obesity in animal models. We therefore looked for alterations in autonomic activity in human obesity. Fifty-six healthy men with various percentages of body fat underwent autonomic testing while at rest. Significant correlations were found between the percentage of body fat and the variation in the R-R interval after beta-adrenergic blockade (r = -0.30, P less than 0.03), the heart rate (r = 0.30, P less than 0.03), the plasma norepinephrine concentration (r = -0.30, P less than 0.05), the plasma epinephrine concentration (r = -0.49, P less than 0.001), and the pupillary latency period (r = 0.39, P less than 0.01). Each of these variables reflects the activity of the sympathetic nervous system or parasympathetic nervous system or both. Depressions in sympathetic and parasympathetic activity were significantly but weakly associated with increasing percentages of body fat. These associations indicate that in obese persons, autonomic changes, though not necessarily causal, involve several organ systems. We suggest that autonomic alterations are important in human obesity, as they are in animal obesity. A disordered homeostatic mechanism may promote excessive storage of energy by decreasing sympathetic activity, while defending against weight gain by decreasing parasympathetic activity. The use of autonomic profiles holds promise for classifying human obesity and identifying obese patients at increased risk for various disorders.
Adipose Tissue↗
[Bronchial asthma. Immunologic and biochemical aspects].
Bronchial asthma is a multifactorial condition, both as regards causes of illness and pathogenetic mechanisms. The pathogenetic mechanisms are discussed, starting with the type 1 allergic reaction as an inductor of mediator release from leukocytes in the bronchial mucosa. The article describes the interaction between bronchial smooth muscle contraction, vasodilatation, mucosal edema and increased mucosal secretions, with particular emphasis upon inflammatory changes and epithelial damage. It delineates the role of the nervous system, especially the parasympathetical nervous system, and the non-adrenergic non-cholinergic nervous system in the lung. The possibility of an interaction between mediator release and the parasympathetical nervous system is also discussed.
Asthma↗
Can personality traits predict pathological responses to audiovisual stimulation?
The "Pockemon shock" is the most famous accident in the history of the broadcasting industry in Japan. Based on the experiences of this unfortunate accident from famous animation program "Pocket Monster", this study focused on the psychology and psychosomatics of the patients. A head-mounted display was used as the three-dimensional image presentation device and "Descent", a free software shooting game, was used as the software. Ten healthy adult male volunteers were used in this experiment after obtaining their informed consent. The oxygen metabolic change in the anterior lobe of the brain was measured by near infrared spectroscopy and recorded on an electrocardiogram. The mental scaling tendency of the object was analyzed using the type A behavior pattern and the hostility scaling. The Cook and Medley hostility (HO) scale from the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI) was also used in this experiment. From this scaling methodology, the paranoid scale, cynicism scale, lie scale, social support quality and social support quantity were calculated. All measured time series data were kept in the normal range, and no fatal arrhythmia or epilepsy were observed during experiments. In some cases, the brain oxygen metabolism may completely differ for the objects of Type A and Type B behavior patterns. On the whole, correlation did not become significant in type A scaling and hostility scaling. In a comparison of the percent changes of the HF in HRV with lie scaling, significant negative correlation was observed. The social support quantity was calculated from Cook and Medley, and significant negative correlations were observed with percent changes of LF/HF in HRV. The lie scale and social support quantity are opposite scaling. The sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system have an opposite function also. Therefore, our results showed an interesting phenomenon, when considering the relationship between the autonomic function and the pathophysiological reaction to the audiovisual stimulations. As for the photo sensitive epilepsy, it was reported to be only 5-10% for all patients. Therefore, 90% or more of the cause could not be determined in patients who started a morbid response. The results in this study suggest that the autonomic function was connected to the mental tendency of the objects. By examining such directivity, it is expected that subjects, which show morbid reaction to an audiovisual stimulation, can be screened beforehand.
Acoustic Stimulation↗
Conditioned fear-induced tachycardia in the rat: vagal involvement.
The effects of conditioned fear on gross activity, heart rate, PQ interval, noradrenaline and adrenaline were studied in freely moving rats. Subcutaneous (s.c.) injections of atropine methyl nitrate (0.5 mg/kg) during rest resulted in a significant shortening of the PQ interval, indicating that the PQ interval can be used as a measure of vagal activity. Conditioned fear was induced by 10-min forced exposure to a cage in which the rat had previously experienced footshocks (5 x 0.5 mA x 3 s). In non-shocked controls, an increase in gross activity was found and a pronounced tachycardia, without changes in PQ interval. Conditioned fear rats showed immobility behaviour, associated with a less pronounced tachycardia and an increase in PQ interval. Noradrenaline was similarly increased in both groups, whereas adrenaline was increased in conditioned fear rats only. To further evaluate the role of the vagus, rats were exposed to conditioned fear after pre-treatment with atropine methyl nitrate (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.). Again, immobility was observed with a concomitant tachycardia, but without an increase in PQ interval. These results indicate that the autonomic nervous system is differentially involved in heart rate regulation in conditioned fear rats and in non-shocked controls: in non-shocked controls a predominant sympathetic nervous system activation results in an increase in heart rate, whereas in conditioned fear rats the tachycardiac response is attenuated by a simultaneous activation of sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system.
Animals↗
Central neuroanatomical systems involved in the regulation of food intake in birds and mammals.
The neural regulation of food intake seems to be quite similar in birds and mammals. The ventromedial hypothalamic syndrome produced by lesions within the mediobasal hypothalamus of both birds and mammals is composed of several independent physiological and behavioral changes. Other neural sites known to be important in mammals for regulating food intake need to be examined in birds including the paraventricular nucleus, nucleus tractus solitarius and parabrachial nucleus. Members of the opioid and pancreatic polypeptide families are effective in stimulating food intake in avian species. Both prolactin and growth hormone are also efficacious in stimulating food intake. In contrast, cholecystokinin inhibits food intake when administered intracerebroventricularly. The autonomic and endocrine hypothesis developed to explain obesity in mammals appears to be quite applicable to genetic strains of commercial birds selected for meat production. Specifically the commercial broiler appears to display an imbalance of the autonomic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system dominates as a consequence of intense genetic selection for growth rate.
Amino Acids↗
Marihuana and the cardiovascular system.
The actions of marihuana on the cardiovascular system in man are the most consistent physiological effects produced by acue administration. Significant tachycardia and conjunctival injection are well established effects. When the subject is upright, marihuana produces a fall in blood pressure; however, either no significant effect or a slight increase in blood pressure occurs when the subject is supine. Marihuana has been reported to increase limb blood flow and produce no significant effect on electrocardiogram of normal subjects. It, however, interferes with the integrity of peripheral vascular reflex responses. Although the detailed mechanism of action has not been elucidated, there is evidence that marihuana produces both sympathetci nervous system stimulation and parasympathetic nervous system blockade. No data are available that indicate the acute administration of marihuana presents a significant hazard to the cardiovascular system of normal subjects.
Animals↗
Differential changes of autonomic nervous system function with age in man.
To assess the relationship between aging and autonomic nervous system function, cardiovascular and pupillary autonomic nervous system reflexes were measured in subgroups of 103 normal male subjects ranging in age from 19 to 82 years (mean age = 39 years). Both the plasma norepinephrine level, a measure of cardiovascular sympathetic nervous system activity, and the mean arterial blood pressure increased with age (r = 0.68 and 0.67, respectively, both p less than 0.001). In contrast, the plasma epinephrine level, a measure of adrenomedullary sympathetic nervous system activity, was unrelated to age (r = 0.08, p = NS). Respiratory variation of heart rate during beta-adrenergic blockade, an index of cardiac parasympathetic nervous system activity, was reduced in older subjects (r = -0.54, p less than 0.001). Thus, there was evidence of an age-related increase of cardiovascular sympathetic nervous system activity and a reduction of cardiac parasympathetic nervous system activity. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that there is sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system compensation of cardiovascular function in response to an age-related decrease in baroreceptor sensitivity. However, dark-adapted pupil size during parasympathetic nervous system blockade, an index of iris sympathetic nervous system activity, declined with age (r = -0.81, p less than 0.001). The latency time for the pupillary response to a light stimulus, an index of iris parasympathetic nervous system activity, was prolonged in older subjects (r = 0.58, p less than 0.001). Thus, both sympathetic nervous system and parasympathetic nervous system inputs to the iris were diminished in older subjects, findings consistent with the generalized decrease of peripheral somatic nerve function that has been reported with aging in man. It is concluded that autonomic nervous system function also declines with aging, but that other age-related changes such as a decline of baroreceptor sensitivity may lead to compensatory autonomic nervous system response, which could mask underlying functional defects.
Adult↗
Characteristics of heart period variability in intubated very low birth weight infants with respiratory disease.
BACKGROUND: Heart period variability provides a measure of balance between the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). Since the PNS develops during the final weeks of gestation, premature infants have an overriding SNS. Spectral power analysis of heart period variability reveals two main frequency regions, the low frequency region (LF) representing primarily SNS activity and the high frequency region (HF) representing PNS activity. OBJECTIVES: To identify the characteristics of heart period power in the LF and HF regions in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants in the neonatal intensive care unit across gestational age groups and between sleep and awake states. METHODS: Data were collected from 16 intubated and mechanically ventilated VLBW infants with respiratory disease. Using spectral analysis techniques, heart period power in the two main frequency regions was extracted. RESULTS: HF power did not improve with gestational age as expected. LF power did increase with age, albeit nonsignificantly. LF and HF power were not significantly different between awake and sleep states. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this preliminary study suggest that PNS tone does not improve with gestational age in VLBW infants with respiratory disease. The intensive care environment may stimulate a sympathetic response in these infants and disrupt normal PNS development.
Gestational Age↗
Effects of muscarinic blockade on insulin secretion and on glucose-induced thermogenesis in lean and obese human subjects.
To determine whether hyperinsulinaemia of human obesity is dependent on the activity of the parasympathetic nervous system, and whether activation of the parasympathetic nervous system plays a role in glucose-induced thermogenesis, the metabolic effect of a continuous intravenous glucose infusion [44.4 mumol kg-1 body weight (bw) min-1] with or without atropine infusion was assessed in 11 obese patients and 10 lean controls. Compared with lean controls, obese patients had increased basal and glucose-stimulated plasma insulin and C-peptide concentrations and increased plasma glucose concentrations during glucose infusion. Glucose oxidation during i.v. glucose was lower in obese patients than in lean controls. Glucose-induced thermogenesis was similar in obese patients and in lean controls. Atropine infusion did not affect basal plasma glucose, insulin or free fatty acid concentrations nor glucose-stimulated plasma glucose, insulin, C-peptide, glucagon or free fatty acid concentrations in both groups of subjects. Glucose and lipid oxidation rates and glucose-induced thermogenesis were also unaffected by atropine administration. It is concluded that (1) glucose-stimulated hyperinsulinaemia in human obesity is not dependent on a hyperactivity of the parasympathetic nervous system, which indicates that human obesity is different from most animal models of obesity; (2) glucose-induced thermogenesis is similar in obese and lean subjects when a similar load of glucose is administered; (3) inhibition of the parasympathetic nervous system does not affect the thermic effect of i.v. glucose.
Adult↗
Possible involvement of cholinergic nicotinic receptor in insulin release from isolated rat islets.
Insulin release is influenced by the autonomic nervous system. Regarding parasympathetic control, previous reports have shown that regulation of insulin release is executed exclusively through muscarinic receptors in the pancreatic islets. In the present study, however, we examined the effect on insulin release at the islet level of various agents affecting the parasympathetic nervous system, especially nicotinic receptor blockers. Pancreatic islets isolated from adult Wistar male rats were incubated with these agents and insulin release in the media was measured. Acetylcholine chloride (10(-5) M), as well as distigmine bromide (10(-6), 10(-5) M), both of which are cholinesterase inhibitors, stimulated insulin release, whereas atropine (5 x 10(-6), 5 x 10(-5) M) suppressed it. On the other hand, serum and IgG from myasthenia gravis patients, containing anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies, affected insulin release, and alpha-bungarotoxin (10(-9)-10(-7) M), a nicotinic receptor blocker, stimulated insulin release dose-dependently. The present observations suggest that insulin release is influenced by the parasympathetic nervous system, mediated via not only muscarinic but also nicotinic receptors.
Acetylcholine↗
[Electron microscopy of human nasal mucosa in disturbances of the autonomic nervous system. II. Parasympathetic denervation by vidian nerve transsection in vasomotor rhinitis (author's transl)].
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Adolescent↗
[Participation of alpha and beta adrenoreceptors in facilitating and inhibiting the action of the sympathetic nervous system in parasympathetic bradycardia].
Electrical stimulation of the distal vagal cervical end in urethane chloralose anesthetized cats caused bradycardia that could be both enhanced and inhibited during sympathetic activation. Sympathetic activation was induced by electrical stimulation of the sympathetic outflow of the spinal cord at the level of Th 1-Th 3 in pitched cats or by an intravenous injection of tyramine. It has been proved pharmacologically that alpha-adrenoceptors are involved in potentiation. The inhibitory influences are realized via both alpha- and beta-adrenoceptors.
Animals↗
Poincaré plot of heart rate variability allows quantitative display of parasympathetic nervous activity in humans.
1. Time domain summary statistics and frequency domain parameters can be used to measure heart rate variability. More recently, qualitative methods including the Poincaré plot have been used to evaluate heart rate variability. The aim of this study was to validate a novel method of quantitative analysis of the Poincaré plot using conventional statistical techniques. 2. Beat-to-beat heart rate variability was measured over a relatively short period of time (10-20 min) in 12 healthy subjects aged between 20 and 40 years (mean 30 +/- 7 years) during (i) supine rest, (ii) head-up tilt (sympathetic activation, parasympathetic nervous system activity withdrawal), (iii) intravenous infusion of atropine (parasympathetic nervous system activity withdrawal), and (iv) after overnight administration of low-dose transdermal scopolamine (parasympathetic nervous system augmentation). 3. The "width' of the Poincaré plot, as quantified by SD delta R-R (the difference between successive R-R intervals), was determined at rest (median 48.9, quartile range 20 ms) and found to be significantly reduced during tilt (median 19.1, quartile range 13.7 ms, P < 0.01) and atropine administration (median 7.1, quartile range 5.7 ms, P < 0.01) and increased by scopolamine (median 79.3, quartile range 33 ms, P < 0.01). Furthermore, log variance of delta R-R intervals correlated almost perfectly with log high-frequency (0.15-0.4 Hz) power (r = 0.99, P < 0.01). 4. These findings strongly suggest that the "width' of the Poincaré plot is a measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity. The Poincaré plot is therefore a quantitative visual tool which can be applied to the analysis of R-R interval data gathered over relatively short time periods.
Adult↗
[The respiratory and circulatory reactions to muscle loading and their relationships with the autonomic nervous system].
Research have been carried out on coal miners of the age of 30-35. It was determined that sympathonics have tension regular system of organism, connected with decline of reserve possibilities of parasympathetic nervous system. In conditions of muscular load it leads to the overstrain of myocardium, worsen of restoration processes, decline of aerobic and physical productivity of organism. High reactivity of vagotonic's sympathetic nervous system in combination with parasympathetic nervous system cause considerable activity of cardiovascular functions with less tension of myocardium and shortage of restoration period. Vital energy maintenance of organism with muscular work of people, having normatonia, take place mainly owing to the function of external breathing and it promotes saving of reserves of circulatory system and progress of a large aerobic and physical capacity to work.
Adult↗
Influences of cardiopulmonary bypass, temperature, cardioplegia, and topical hypothermia on cardiac innervation.
The effects of normothermic and hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, crossclamping of the aortic root, cold cardioplegia, as well as epicardial application of iced slush, on the efficacy of the efferent sympathetic nervous system to augment the heart and the efferent parasympathetic nervous system to depress the heart were studied in anesthetized dogs. Cardiac rate and force are augmented by stimulation of the intrathoracic efferent sympathetic nervous system and reduced by stimulation of the intrathoracic efferent parasympathetic nervous system. After cardiopulmonary bypass, which included systemic and topical hypothermia, aortic crossclamping, and crystalloid cardioplegia, the augmentor effects of the efferent sympathetic nervous system were obtunded whereas the depressor effects exerted by the efferent parasympathetic nervous system were not. Direct cardiac myocyte augmentor responses induced by isoproterenol were unaffected by these interventions. Normothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, crossclamping of the aorta, or cold cardioplegia did not result in blunting of the efferent sympathetic cardiac nervous system. Significant blunting of cardiac augmentation induced by the efferent sympathetic nervous system occurred after topical application of iced slush alone. These data demonstrate that blunting of the efferent sympathetic, but not parasympathetic, innervation of the heart occurs after cardiopulmonary bypass, which presumably is primarily due to altering the function of subepicardial efferent sympathetic axons by topical hypothermia and not due to altered cardiac myocyte function. These data imply that after cardiopulmonary bypass involving the procedures described, the ability of the efferent sympathetic nervous system to support cardiac rate and force is transiently impaired.
Animals↗
[Autoregressive analysis of variability in heart rate and blood pressure in asthmatic children--difference of severity].
Changes in ECG R-R intervals and blood pressure (lye and stand) were assessed by the autoregressive power spectral analysis method in 40 asthmatic children (age range: 2-16 years, mean +/- SD: 9.4 +/- 4.1 years). Significantly lower low frequency (LF: < or = 0.1 cycle/beat) power and high frequency (HF: 0.1-0.5 cycle/beat) power of R-R intervals were detected in severe type. LF fluctuations in R-R intervals are known to be mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system and the beta-adrenergic nervous system, while HF fluctuations in R-R intervals are mediated by the parasympathetic nervous system, LF fluctuations in systolic blood pressure by the alpha-adrenergic nervous system. The results suggested parasympathetic nervous system disorder especially in severe asthmatic children. Thus, spectral analysis of variability in R-R intervals and blood pressure are a useful tool for quantifying autonomic nervous system activity.
Adolescent↗