Summary
The introduction of a new microneurographic technique made possible to obtain recordings of multi-unit sympathetic activity in peripheral skin and muscle nerves of awake human subjects. Muscle nerve sympathetic activity consists of pulse synchronous bursts that occur during transient reductions of arterial blood pressure and disappear more or less completely during spontaneous or induced blood pressure elevations. The sympathetic bursts themselves were thought to be initiated during diastolic pressure falls. The results indicate that the sympathetic vasoconstrictor impulses destined to the vascular bed of the skeletal muscles are under strong baroreflex control. This interpretation has further been confirmed by recordings in patients with heart arrhythmias showing that a beat-to-beat correlation between the irregularities in the blood pressure curve and neural events became possible and by nerve recordings during electrical stimulation of the carotid sinus nerves. The spontaneous multi-unit sympathetic activity recorded in skin nerves, probably consisting of both vasoconstrictor and sudomotor impulses, differs in several respects from muscle nerve sympathetic activity: bursts of variable duration occur randomly showing neither pulse synchronous grouping nor correlation to blood pressure fluctuations.
The neural activity is regularly affected by emotional, thermal and respiratory stimuli. Both the different patterns of sympathetic activity in skin and muscle nerves at rest and the different responses to various manoeuvres indicate a selective regional control of the sympathetic outflow.
Zusammenfassung
Mit einer neuen mikroneurographischen Technik kann sympathische Nervenaktivität (Multiunit-Ableitung) zum Haut- und Muskelgefäßbett am wachen Menschen in Ruhe und während verschiedener experimenteller Bedingungen registriert werden. Sympathische Muskelnervenaktivität ist charakterisiert durch pulssynchrone Impulssalven, deren Intensität bei abfallendem Blutdruck zunimmt und bei ansteigendem Blutdruck gewöhnlich mehr oder weniger völlig zum Erlöschen kommt. Die Pulssynchronie und das inverse Verhalten von Blutdruck und Nervenaktivität werden als Ausdruck einer strengen Baroreflexkontrolle der sympathischen Vasokonstriktorsignale zum Muskelgefäßbett gedeutet. Die Richtigkeit dieser Interpretation wird ferner bekräftigt durch Sympathicusableitungen bei Patienten mit Herzrhythmusstörungen, bei denen eine enge Korrelation zwischen den Unregelmäßigkeiten der arteriellen Druckkurve und dem Neurogramm zu finden ist, sowie durch die, auch therapeutisch zu nutzende, Beeinflußbarkeit sympathischer Muskelnervenaktivität durch elektrische Stimulation der Carotissinusnerven. Die sympathische Hautnervenaktivität, die sich aus Vasokonstriktor- und Sudomotorfasern zusammensetzt, unterscheidet sich in mehrfacher Hinsicht von der Muskelnervenaktivität: sie ist gekennzeichnet durch ein unregelmäßiges Aktivitätsbild mit Entladungen unterschiedlicher Dauer, die keine Pulssynchronie und keine Korrelation zu Schwankungen des arteriellen Drucks erkennen lassen. Sie ist leicht beeinflußbar durch emotionelle und thermische Reize. Frühere, in der Kreislaufphysiologie entwickelte Vorstellungen von einer regionalen Differenzierung der sympathischen Kontrolle werden durch die vorliegenden Ergebnisse bestätigt.
Similar content being viewed by others
Literatur
Adrian, E. D., Bronk, D. W., Phillips, G.: Discharges in mammalian sympathetic nerves. J. Physiol. (Lond.)74, 115 (1932)
Barcroft, H.: Circulation in skeletal muscle. In: Handbook of physiology, ed. by W. F. Hamilton and P. Dow, sect. 2, vol. 2, p. 1353–1358. Baltimore: The Williams and Wilkins Co. 1963
Billingsley, P. R., Ranson, S. W.: On the number of nerve cells in the ganglion cervicale superius and of nerve fibres in the cephalic end of the truncus sympathicus in the cat and on the numerical relations of preganglionic and postganglionic neurones. J. comp. Neurol.29, 358 (1918)
Brigden, W., Howarth, S., Sharpey-Schafer, E. P.: Postural changes in the peripheral blood flow of normal subjects with observations on vasovagal fainting reactions as a result of tilting, the lordotic posture, pregnancy and spinal anaesthesia. Clin. Sci.9, 77 (1950)
Bronk, D. W., Stella, G.: Afferent impulses in the carotid sinus nerve. J. cell. comp. Physiol.1, 113 (1932)
Bronk, D. W., Ferguson, L. K., Margaria, R., Solandt, D. Y.: The activity of the cardiac sympathetic centers. Amer. J. Physiol.117, 237 (1936)
Carlsten, A., Folkow, B., Grimby, G., Hamberger, D. A., Thulesius, O.: Cardiovascular effects of direct stimulation of the carotid sinus nerve in man. Acta physiol. scand.44, 138 (1958)
Delius, W., Kellerová, E.: Reactions of arterial and venous vessels in the human forearm and hand to deep breath or mental strain. Clin. Sci.40, 271 (1971a)
Delius, W.: Variability in measurements of venous tone reactions with the occluded limb technique. J. Lab. clin. Invest.27, 207 (1971b)
Delius, W.: Sympathische Nervenaktivität und vaskuläre Reaktion beim Menschen. Acta univ. Upsal.114, 1 (1971c)
Delius, W., Hagbarth, K. E., Hongell, A., Wallin, B. G.: General characteristics of sympathetic activity in human muscle nerves. Acta physiol. scand.84, 65 (1972a)
Delius, W., Hagbarth, K. E., Hongell, A., Wallin, B. G.: Manœuvres affecting sympathetic outflow in human muscle nerves. Acta physiol. scand.84, 82 (1972b)
Delius, W., Hagbarth, K. E., Hongell, A., Wallin, B. G.: Manœuvres affecting sympathetic outflow in human skin nerves. Acta physiol. scand.84, 177 (1972c)
Delius, W., Wallin, B. G., Hallén, A., Sundlöf, G.: Registrierung sympathischer Nervenaktivität beim Menschen während elektrischer Stimulation der Carotissinusnerven. Verh. dtsch. Ges. Kreisl.-Forsch.39, 240 (1973)
Djojosugito, A. M., Folkow, B., Kylstra, P. A., Lisander, B., Tuttle, R. S.: Differentiated interaction between the hypothalamic defence reaction and baroreceptor reflexes. I. Effects on heart rate and regional flow resistance. Acta physiol. scand.78, 376 (1970)
Ehinger, B., Flack, B., Sporrong, B.: Adrenergic fibres to the heart and to peripheral vessels. Bibl. anat. (Basel)8, 35 (1966)
Folkow, B., Neil, E.: Circulation. Oxford: University Press 1971
Fuxe, K., Sedvall, G.: The distribution of adrenergic fibres to the blood vessels in skeletal muscle. Acta physiol. scand.64, 75 (1965)
Gasser, H. S.: Properties of dorsal root unmedullated fibres on the two sides of the ganglion. J. gen. Physiol.38, 709 (1955)
Gebber, G. L., Snyder, D. W.: Hypothalamic control of baroreceptor reflexes. Amer. J. Physiol.218, 124 (1970)
Gernandt, B., Liljestrand, G., Zotterman, Y.: Efferent impulses in the splanchnic nerve. Acta physiol. scand.11, 230 (1946)
Golenhofen, K.: Haut, Skeletmuskel. In: Physiologie des Kreislaufs, Band 1. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1971
Green, J. H., Heffron, P. F.: Studies upon the relationship between baroreceptor and sympathetic activity. Quart. J. exp. Physiol.53, 23 (1968)
Greenfield, A. D. M.: The circulation through the skin. In: Handbook of physiology, ed. by W. F. Hamilton and P. Dow, sect. 2, vol. 2, p. 1325–1351. Baltimore: The Williams & Wilkins Co. 1963
Gribbin, B., Pickering, T. G., Sleight, P., Peto, R.: Effect of age and high pressure on baroreflex sensitivity in man. Circulat. Res.29, 424 (1971)
Hagbarth, K. E., Vallbo, Å. B.: Pulse and respiratory grouping of sympathetic impulses in human muscle nerves. Acta physiol. scand.74, 96 (1968)
Hagbarth, K. E., Hongell, A., Hallin, R. G., Torebjörk, H. E.: Afferent impulses in median nerve fascicles evoked by tactile stimuli of the human hand. Brain Res.24, 423 (1970)
Hagbarth, K. E., Hallin, R. G., Hongell, A., Torebjörk, E., Wallin, B. G.: General characteristics of sympathetic activity in human skin nerves. Acta physiol. scand.84, 164 (1972)
Heymans, C., Neil, E.: Reflexogenic areas of the cardiovascular system. London: Churchill 1958
Horeyseck, G., Jänig, W.: Response patterns in vasoconstrictors to the skin and muscle upon stimulation of skin receptors in chronic spinal cats. Pflügers Arch.332, 64 (1972)
Humphreys, P. W., Joels, N.: The vasomotor component of the carotid sinus baroreceptor reflex in the cat during stimulation of the hypothalamic defense area. J. Physiol. (Lond.)226, 57 (1972)
Iriki, M., Walther, O. E., Pleschka, K., Simon, E.: Regional cutaneous and visceral sympathetic activity during asphyxia in the anesthetized rabbit. Pflügers Arch.322, 167 (1971)
Koizumi, K., Seller, H., Kaufman, A., Brooks, C. McC.: Pattern of sympathetic discharges and their relation to baroreceptor and respiratory activities. Brain Res.27, 281 (1971)
Koizumi, K., Sato, A.: Reflex activity of single sympathetic fibres to skeletal muscle produced by electrical stimulation of somatic and vagodepressor afferent nerves in the cat. Pflügers Arch.332, 283 (1972)
Ljung, B.: Nervous and myogenic mechanisms in the control of a vascular neuroeffector system. Acta physiol. scand., Suppl.349, 33 (1970)
Löfving, B.: Cardiovascular adjustments induced from the rostral cingulate gyrus. Acta physiol. scand.53, Suppl. 184, 1 (1961)
Marshall, R. J., Schirger, A., Shepherd, J. T.: Blood pressure during supine exercise in idiopathic orthostatic hypotension. Circulation24, 76 (1961)
McIntosh, H. D., Burnum, J. F., Hickam, J. B., Warren, J. V.: Circulatory changes produced by the Valsalva manœuver in normal subjects, patients with mitral stenosis, and autonomic nervous system alterations. Circulation9, 511 (1954)
Mellander, S., Johannsson, B.: Control of resistance, exchange and capacitane functions in the peripheral circulation. Pharmacol. Rev.20, 117 (1968)
Mellander, S.: Systemic circulation: Local control. Ann. Rev. Physiol.32, 313 (1970)
Öberg, B.: The relationship between active constriction and passive recoil of the veins at various distending pressures. Acta physiol. scand.71, 233 (1967)
Riedel, W., Iriki, M., Simon, E.: Regional differentiation of sympathetic activity during peripheral heating and cooling in anesthetized rabbits. Pflügers Arch.332, 239 (1972)
Roddie, I. C., Shepherd, J. T.: The reflex nervous control of human skeletal muscle blood vessels. Clin. Sci.15, 433 (1956)
Roddie, J. C., Shepherd, J. T., Whelan, R. F.: Reflex changes in vasoconstrictor tone in human skeletal muscle in response to stimulation of receptors in a low pressure area of the intrathoracic vascular bed. J. Physiol. (Lond.)139, 369 (1957)
Sharpey-Schafer, E. P.: Effects of coughing on intrathoracic pressure, arterial pressure and peripheral blood flow. J. Physiol. (Lond.)122, 351 (1953)
Shepherd, J. T.: Physiology of the circulation in human limbs in health and disease. Philadelphia-London: Saunders 1963
Sivertsson, R.: The hemodynamic importance of structural vascular changes in essential hypertension. Acta physiol. scand., Suppl.343, 1 (1970)
Stead, E. A., Jr., Ebert, R. V.: Postural hypotension: A disease of the sympathetic nervous system. Arch. intern. Med.67, 546 (1941)
Vallbo, Å. B., Hagbarth, K. E.: Activity from skin mechanoreceptors recorded percutaneously in awake human subjects. Exp. Neurol.21, 270 (1968)
Wallin, G., Delius, W., Hagbarth, K. E.: Comparison of sympathetic nerve activity in normotensive and hypertensive subjects. Circulat. Res.33, 9 (1973)
Wallin, G., Delius, W., Sundlöf, G.: Muscle nerve sympathetic activity in heart arrhythmias. (im Druck)
Walther, O. E., Iriki, M., Simon, E.: Antagonistic changes of blood flow and sympathetic activity in different vascular beds following central thermal stimulation. II. Cutaneous and visceral sympathetic activity during spinal cord heating and cooling in anesthetized rabbits and cats. Pflügers Arch. ges. Physiol.319, 162 (1970)
Weidinger, H., Leschhorn, V.: Sympathische Tonisierung und rhythmische Blutdruckschwankungen. Z. Kreisl.-Forsch.53, 985 (1964)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wallin, G., Delius, W. Neue Aspekte zur sympathischen Kontrolle der Haut- und Muskelgefäße beim wachen Menschen. Klin Wochenschr 52, 457–465 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01468533
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01468533