Sinoaortic denervation abolishes pressure resetting for daily physical activity in rabbits

It has been speculated that if baroafferent signals are only related to the negative feedback control of arterial pressure (AP), then physical activity would increase the range of AP fluctuation in baroafferent-denervated animals. Mean AP (MAP), heart rate (HR), and cardiac output (CO) were measured for 24 h in free-moving conscious rabbits. On the basis of hydrostatic pressure and electromyogram, MAP data taken during periods of physical activity and rest were selected from the overall 24-h MAP data and then converted into histograms. During physical activity, the mode of MAP histogram increased in intact rabbits and was unchanged in sinoaortic-denervated (SAD) rabbits. Movement increased the mode of total peripheral resistance (TPR) but did not significantly change CO in intact rabbits. Conversely in SAD rabbits, movement slightly decreased TPR and slightly increased CO. These findings indicate that arterial baroafferent signals are required to shift MAP to a higher pressure level by an increase in TPR but not in CO during a moving phase. These results suggest that baroafferent signals may not only minimize the fluctuating range of MAP through negative feedback control but also be involved in actively resetting MAP toward a higher pressure level during daily physical activity.