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Influence of sympathetic nerve activity on aortic hemodynamics and pulse wave velocity in women
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Influence of sympathetic nerve activity on aortic hemodynamics and pulse wave velocity in women

Ronée E Harvey, Jill N Barnes, Emma C J Hart, Wayne T Nicholson, Michael J Joyner and Darren P Casey
American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, Vol.312(2), pp.H340-H346
02/01/2017
DOI: 10.1152/ajpheart.00447.2016
PMCID: PMC5336574
PMID: 27923789
url
https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00447.2016View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Central (aortic) blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and sympathetic nerve activity increase with age in women. However, it is unknown if the age-related increase in sympathetic activity influences aortic hemodynamics and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), an index of central aortic stiffness. The goal of this study was to determine if aortic hemodynamics and cfPWV are directly influenced by sympathetic nerve activity by measuring aortic hemodynamics, cfPWV, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in women before and during autonomic ganglionic blockade with trimethaphan camsylate. We studied 12 young premenopausal (23 ± 4 yr) and 12 older postmenopausal (57 ± 3 yr) women. These women did not differ in body mass index or mean arterial pressure ( > 0.05 for both). At baseline, postmenopausal women had higher aortic pulse pressure, augmented pressure, augmentation index adjusted for a heart rate of 75 beats/min, wasted left ventricular pressure energy, and cfPWV than young women ( < 0.05). During ganglionic blockade, postmenopausal women had a greater decrease in these variables in comparison to young women ( < 0.05). Additionally, baseline MSNA was negatively correlated with the reductions in aortic pulse pressure, augmented pressure, and wasted left ventricular pressure energy during ganglionic blockade in postmenopausal women ( < 0.05) but not young women. Baseline MSNA was not correlated with the changes in augmentation index adjusted for a heart rate of 75 beats/min or cfPWV in either group ( > 0.05 for all). Our results suggest that some aortic hemodynamic parameters are influenced by sympathetic activity to a greater extent in older postmenopausal women than in young premenopausal women. Autonomic ganglionic blockade results in significant decreases in multiple aortic pulse wave characteristics (e.g., augmented pressure) and central pulse wave velocity in older postmenopausal women but not in young premenopausal women. Certain aortic pulse wave parameters are negatively influenced by sympathetic activity to a greater extent in older postmenopausal women.
 Pulse Wave Analysis Ventricular Function, Left Sympathetic Nervous System - drug effects Trimethaphan - pharmacology Humans Middle Aged Muscle, Skeletal - innervation Ganglionic Blockers - pharmacology Hemodynamics - physiology Young Adult Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology Muscle, Skeletal - drug effects Ventricular Pressure - physiology Arterial Pressure - drug effects Postmenopause Adult Female Ganglia, Autonomic Heart Rate Vasodilator Agents - pharmacology Premenopause Aorta - drug effects Ventricular Pressure - drug effects Arterial Pressure - physiology Aging - physiology Vascular Stiffness - physiology Aorta - innervation Hemodynamics - drug effects Infusions, Intravenous Aorta - physiology

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