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Strong potential for baroreflex-governed sympathetic outflow revealed during nausea

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Abstract

Muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) was recorded in two patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. As expected, they exhibited a high level of MSNA at rest, with an inverse weak response to different maneuvers normally eliciting strong increase in MSNA. About 30 min after the intake of a glucose solution, they developed nausea with an extreme rise in MSNA and blood pressure. In one patient, a quantified analysis of this reaction could be done: the outflow was close to 200% above the already high resting level and >100% stronger than the response to any of the performed maneuvers. We regard this observation of importance, because it seems to unveil resources utilized only rarely, and strongly overcoming the “ceiling effect” that seemingly is a hindrance for sympathetic activation in subjects with high lever of MSNA at rest. An inhibitory “safety limit” might exist, the trespassing of which would damage the organism and thus occurs only during extraordinary circumstances.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by Grants from the Swedish Medical Research Council (JF), the Lions Sweden Fund for Medical Research, and the NHR (National Association for the Neurologically Disabled) foundation, Sweden (IN).

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  1. Department of Neurology, Akademiska sjukhuset/University Hospital, 751 85, Uppsala, Sweden

    Jan Fagius & Ingela Nygren

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  1. Jan Fagius
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  2. Ingela Nygren
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Correspondence to Jan Fagius.

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Fagius, J., Nygren, I. Strong potential for baroreflex-governed sympathetic outflow revealed during nausea. Clin Auton Res 20, 371–374 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-010-0076-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-010-0076-4

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