The cardiovascular and ventilatory responses to dynamic exercise are well known and include increases in sympathetic discharge to the vasculature, decreases in vagal discharge to the heart and airways as well as increases in tidal volume and breathing frequency. A reflex arising from the exercising muscles is believed to be mostly responsible for increases in sympathetic discharge to the vasculature, and probably contributes at least in part to the remaining effects. The overall aim of the proposed experiments is to determine the role played by mechanical and metabolic stimuli that arise in the dynamically exercising muscles in stimulating the thin fiber afferents (i.e., group III and IV) comprising the afferent arm of the reflex evoking these cardiovascular and ventilatory adjustments. Dynamic exercise will be induced in decerebrated unanesthetized cats by electrical and possibly chemical stimulation of the mesencephalic or subthalamic locomotor regions. [Three putative] metabolic stimuli will be investigated, namely lactic acid, ATP, a purine which stimulates P2 receptors, and bradykinin, a peptide that stimulates B2 receptors. The responses of group III and IV afferents to lactic acid will be blocked by both amiloride and A-317567, a compound reported to block acid sensing ion channels. Likewise, the responses of the afferents to ATP will be blocked by PPADS and suramin [and those to bradykinin will be blocked by HOE-140]. Each of the blocking agents will be injected into the popliteal artery perfusing the dynamically exercising triceps surae muscles. Afferent activity will be recorded from the L7-S1 dorsal roots both when the triceps surae muscles are freely perfused and when their circulation is occluded. Particular attention will be paid to a one minute period of post-exercise circulatory occlusion, which is a pure metabolic stimulus to group III and IV muscle afferents. The proposed studies should shed new light on the roles played by mechanical and metabolic stimuli in stimulating group III and IV muscle afferents during dynamic exercise.

Public Health Relevance

We propose to determine the role played by mechanical and metabolic stimuli in evoking the cardiovascular and ventilatory responses to dynamic exercise (i.e., running). These responses are important because they support our ability to exercise in normal circumstances, but also can cause irregular heart rhythms, leading to death in patients with coronary artery disease. Increasing our understanding of the mechanisms causing these effects may lead to improved treatments for the cardiac problems occurring during exercise.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01HL030710-27
Application #
8211002
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-VH-G (03))
Program Officer
Laposky, Aaron D
Project Start
1987-07-01
Project End
2013-12-31
Budget Start
2012-01-01
Budget End
2012-12-31
Support Year
27
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$383,873
Indirect Cost
$136,373
Name
Pennsylvania State University
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
129348186
City
Hershey
State
PA
Country
United States
Zip Code
17033
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Tsuchimochi, Hirotsugu; McCord, Jennifer L; Hayes, Shawn G et al. (2010) Chronic femoral artery occlusion augments exercise pressor reflex in decerebrated rats. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 299:H106-13
McCord, Jennifer L; Tsuchimochi, Hirotsugu; Kaufman, Marc P (2010) P2X2/3 and P2X3 receptors contribute to the metaboreceptor component of the exercise pressor reflex. J Appl Physiol (1985) 109:1416-23
Hayes, Shawn G; McCord, Jennifer L; Koba, Satoshi et al. (2009) Gadolinium inhibits group III but not group IV muscle afferent responses to dynamic exercise. J Physiol 587:873-82
Kindig, Angela E; Hayes, Shawn G; Hanna, Ramy L et al. (2006) P2 antagonist PPADS attenuates responses of thin fiber afferents to static contraction and tendon stretch. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 290:H1214-9
Adreani, C M; Hill, J M; Kaufman, M P (1997) Responses of group III and IV muscle afferents to dynamic exercise. J Appl Physiol 82:1811-7