Chronic electrical activation of the arterial baroreflex in hypertensive rats - determining the role of unmyelinated baroreceptors

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26750153
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biomedical engineering/Biomaterial science and engineering
• Research Institution: National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute
• Principal Investigator: Turner Michael 国立研究開発法人国立循環器病研究センター, 研究所, 流動研究員 (90714204)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: baroreflex / sympathetic system / arterial pressure / hypertension / electrical stimulation / aortic depressor nerve / myelinated fibers / unmyelinated fibers

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Resistant hypertension is defined as blood pressure that remains above goal in spite of the concurrent use of three different types of antihypertensive agents. Development of new treatment strategies for drug-resistant hypertension is needed. Baroreflex activation therapy (BAT), which stimulates the arterial baroreflex system to reduce sympathetic nerve activity and arterial pressure, is one of non-pharmacological treatmenmts. However, there are responders and non-responders to BAT, and the further understanding of the mechanism of BAT is required to predict the outcome. We explored how BAT decreased arterial pressure from a viewpoint of differences between unmyelinated and myelinated baroreceptor fibers using a rat model of chronic hypertension.

Free Research Field

Cardiovascular Physiology