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Baroreceptor reflex in heart failure

Wang Wei, Zhu Guoqing, Gao Lie, Tan Wen, Qian Zhongming

Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Nebraska College of Medicine Omaha. NE 68198-4575, USA；Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University. Nanjing 210029, China；Suzhou Preclinical Animal Testing Center. Suzhou 215011, China；Applied Biology & Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polyechnic University. Hung Hom, Kowloon. Hong Kong

Abstract

Congestive heart failure is a syndrome that is usually initiated by a reduction in pump function of the heart, i.e. a decrease in cardiac output. Initially, a reduction in cardiac output leads to unloading of baroreceptor reflex that, in turn, increases heart rate through vago-sympathetic mechanisms and total peripheral resistance via an increase in sympathetic outflow to vascular beds. In this review we are thinking on how baroreceptor reflex plays a role in the abnormal control of the circulation in heart failure. This review and our recent studies suggest that: (1) baroreceptor reflex is blunted in heart failure; (2) central angiotensin Ⅱ and reactive oxygen species play an important role in blunted baroreceptor reflex; (3) cardiac sympathetic afferent stimulation and chemoreceptor reflex inhibit baroreceptor reflex; and (4) exercise training normalizes abnormal reflexes in the heart failure state.

Key words: baroreceptor reflex; chemoreceptor reflex; heart failure; angiotensin Ⅱ; reactive oxygen species; exercise training

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Citing This Article：

Wang Wei, Zhu Guoqing, Gao Lie, Tan Wen, Qian Zhongming. Baroreceptor reflex in heart failure. Acta Physiol Sin 2004; 56 (3): (in Chinese with English abstract).