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Cited by 151Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlNitric Oxide and Endothelin EffectsCardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias

Nitric Oxide and Cardiac Autonomic Control in Humans

Chowdhary, Saqib, Vaile, Julian C., Fletcher, Janine, Ross, Hamish F., Coote, John H., Townend, Jonathan N.·2000·Hypertension
DOI 10.1161/01.hyp.36.2.264
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Abstract

Abstract —Cardiac autonomic control is of prognostic significance in cardiac disease, yet the control mechanisms of this system remain poorly defined. Animal data suggest that nitric oxide (NO) modulates cardiac autonomic control. We investigated the influence of NO on the baroreflex control of heart rate in healthy human subjects. In 26 healthy male volunteers (mean age, 23±5 years), we measured heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity during inhibition of endogenous NO production with N G -monomethyl- l -arginine (L-NMMA) (3 mg/kg per hour) and during exogenous NO donation with sodium nitroprusside (1 to 3 mg/h). Increases from baseline (Δ) in high-frequency (HF) indexes of heart rate variability were smaller with L-NMMA in comparison to an equipressor dose of the control vasoconstrictor phenylephrine (12 to 42 μg/kg per hour): Δroot mean square of successive RR interval differences (ΔRMSSD)=23±32 versus 51±48 ms ( P <0.002); Δpercentage of successive RR interval differences >50 ms (ΔpNN50)=5±15% versus 14±12% ( P <0.05); and ΔHF normalized power=−2±7 versus 9±8 normalized units ( P <0.01), respectively. Relative preservation of these indexes was observed during unloading of the baroreflex with sodium nitroprusside compared with a matched fall in blood pressure produced by a control vasodilator, hydralazine (9 to 18 mg/h): ΔRMSSD=−8±8 versus −24±15 ms ( P <0.001); ΔpNN50=−6±11% versus −15±19% ( P <0.01); ΔHF normalized power=−7±13 versus −13±11 normalized units ( P <0.05), respectively. The change in cross-spectral α-index calculated as the square root of the ratio of RR interval power to systolic spectral power in the HF band (although not α-index calculated in the same way for the low-frequency bands or baroreflex sensitivity assessed by the phenylephrine bolus method) was attenuated with L-NMMA compared with phenylephrine (Δ=4±8 versus 14±15 ms/mm Hg, respectively; P <0.02) and with sodium nitroprusside compared with hydralazine (Δ=−7±6 and −9±7 ms/mm Hg, respectively; P <0.05). In conclusion, these data demonstrate that NO augments cardiac vagal control in humans.

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Authors
Chowdhary, S., Vaile, J. C., Fletcher, J., Ross, H. F., Coote, J. H., & Townend, J. N.
Affiliations
  • University of Birmingham (GB)
  • From the Departments of Cardiovascular Medicine (S.C., J.C.V., J.N.T.) and Physiology (J.F., H.F.R., J.H.C.), University of Birmingham, UK.
ORCID
Venue
Hypertension
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2000-08
Volume
36
Issue
2
Pages
264-269
ISSN
  • 0194-911X (ISSN-L)
  • 1524-4563
DOI
10.1161/01.hyp.36.2.264
OpenAlex
W2155882712
Cited by
151
References
31
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 8
FWCI
6.07
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Hypertension (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
British Heart Foundation
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Nitric Oxide and Endothelin Effects
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Cardiac electrophysiology and arrhythmias
Keywords
nitric oxide, cardiac autonomic control, baroreflex sensitivity, heart rate variability, L-NMMA, sodium nitroprusside, phenylephrine, hydralazine, sympathetic activity, parasympathetic activity, sympathovagal balance, healthy men, blood pressure regulation, rate control
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Autonomic Nervous System, Blood Pressure, Enzyme Inhibitors, Heart, Heart Rate, Humans, Hydralazine, Male, Nitric Oxide, Nitroprusside, Single-Blind Method, Baroreflex, Cross-Over Studies, Nitric Oxide Synthase, omega-N-Methylarginine, Nitric Oxide Donors

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