The overall goal of this application is to determine the role of the autonomic nervous system in the abnormalities associated with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. We propose to test the hypothesis that the sympathetic nervous system contributes to the cardiovascular and inflammatory abnormalities present in the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and, in particular in the subset of patients characterized by postural tachycardia (POTS). CFS and POTS are seen mostly in otherwise normal young women, and are the cause of significant disability. Our preliminary indicates a decrease in plasma volume in patients with POTS, which can contribute to, and be the consequence of, sympathetic activation. Our preliminary studies also indicate an interaction between the sympathetic nervous system and nitric oxide mechanisms; this may also create a negative feedback mechanism whereby a decrease nitric oxide results in sympathetic activation, and increased sympathetic activity results in impaired nitric oxide mechanisms. We have developed a paradigm that will allow us to define selectively the contribution of endothelial nitric oxide to blood pressure regulation and will apply this approach to patients with CFS and POTS. In addition, our preliminary studies indicate that sympathetic activity is associated with inflammatory processes. In particular, C-reactive protein are increased in patients with POTS and, conversely, decreased in patients with low sympathetic tone due to pure autonomic unsuccessful undertaking. We propose to measure validated indices of sympathetic activity, inflammation and oxidative stress in patients with CFS and POTS, and compare them to appropriate control groups, including patients with CFS without POTS, POTS without CFS, and normal controls. If our hypothesis is correct, and sympathetic activity contributes to the pathophysiology of CFS, then chronic inhibition of sympathetic tone will result in improvement of symptoms, cardiovascular alterations, volume defects, and inflammatory abnormalities present in CFS. ? ? ?

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01NS055670-02
Application #
7287836
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-CFS-E (50))
Program Officer
Porter, Linda L
Project Start
2006-09-15
Project End
2010-08-31
Budget Start
2007-09-01
Budget End
2008-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2007
Total Cost
$372,621
Indirect Cost
Name
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Department
Internal Medicine/Medicine
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
004413456
City
Nashville
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
37212
Okamoto, Luis E; Raj, Satish R; Gamboa, Alfredo et al. (2015) Sympathetic activation is associated with increased IL-6, but not CRP in the absence of obesity: lessons from postural tachycardia syndrome and obesity. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 309:H2098-107
Okamoto, Luis E; Gamboa, Alfredo; Shibao, Cyndya A et al. (2014) Nebivolol, but not metoprolol, lowers blood pressure in nitric oxide-sensitive human hypertension. Hypertension 64:1241-7
Biaggioni, Italo (2014) New developments in the management of neurogenic orthostatic hypotension. Curr Cardiol Rep 16:542
Plash, Walker B; Diedrich, André; Biaggioni, Italo et al. (2013) Diagnosing postural tachycardia syndrome: comparison of tilt testing compared with standing haemodynamics. Clin Sci (Lond) 124:109-14
Brewster, Jordan A; Garland, Emily M; Biaggioni, Italo et al. (2012) Diurnal variability in orthostatic tachycardia: implications for the postural tachycardia syndrome. Clin Sci (Lond) 122:25-31
Peggs, Kiffany J; Nguyen, Hovan; Enayat, Diba et al. (2012) Gynecologic disorders and menstrual cycle lightheadedness in postural tachycardia syndrome. Int J Gynaecol Obstet 118:242-6
Biaggioni, Italo (2012) Interventional approaches to reduce sympathetic activity in resistant hypertension: to ablate or stimulate? Hypertension 59:194-5
Okamoto, Luis E; Raj, Satish R; Peltier, Amanda et al. (2012) Neurohumoral and haemodynamic profile in postural tachycardia and chronic fatigue syndromes. Clin Sci (Lond) 122:183-92
Coffin, Samuel T; Black, Bonnie K; Biaggioni, Italo et al. (2012) Desmopressin acutely decreases tachycardia and improves symptoms in the postural tachycardia syndrome. Heart Rhythm 9:1484-90
Okamoto, Luis E; Shibao, Cyndya; Gamboa, Alfredo et al. (2012) Synergistic effect of norepinephrine transporter blockade and ?-2 antagonism on blood pressure in autonomic failure. Hypertension 59:650-6

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