Recently, we developed a transgenic mouse with cardiac-specific Gsalpha overexpression (TG mouse), which exhibits enhanced postsynaptic beta-adrenergic receptor signaling, ultimately developing a cardiomyopathy. The goal of the present study was to determine whether cardiac Gsalpha overexpression alters autonomic cardiovascular control, which could shed light on the mechanism responsible for the later development of cardiomyopathy. Mean arterial pressure was increased (P<.05) in conscious, chronically instrumented TG mice (123+/-1 mm Hg) compared with age-matched wild-type (WT) control mice (103+/-1 mm Hg). Respiratory frequency was increased (P<.05) in TG mice (269+/-26/min) compared with WT mice (210+/-20/min). By use of telemetric techniques, baseline heart rate (HR) was elevated (P<.05) in conscious, untethered TG mice (696+/-13 bpm) compared with WT mice (568+/-28 bpm). Intrinsic HR, after propranolol and atropine or after ganglionic blockade with hexamethonium, was not different between TG and WT mice. Both the normal minute-to-minute and circadian variations of HR observed in WT mice were markedly blunted in TG mice. HR variability was assessed by the time-domain and frequency-domain methods. At baseline, time-domain analysis indices were reduced (P<.05) in TG mice compared with WT mice. Although the low frequency (LF) component was higher (P<.05) than the high frequency (HF) component in WT mice, the LF component was less (P<.05) than the HF component in TG mice. In addition, arterial baroreflex regulation of HR was markedly blunted in TG mice in response to both nitroglycerin-induced hypotension and phenylephrine-induced hypertension. The reduced LF/HF ratio in TG mice was surprising in view of enhanced beta-adrenergic signaling and may be due to reduced neural tone secondary to the elevated arterial pressure or alterations in arterial baroreflex control. Dobutamine infusion in WT mice also resulted in depressed HR variability. The combination of elevated baseline HR, arterial pressure, and respiratory frequency suggests that enhanced beta-adrenergic signaling in TG mice results in reduced HR variability, in terms of both minute-to-minute variability and the lack of circadian variations in HR. The lack of normal HR variability in general and the failure of HR to decline, even during sleep, may actually be critical mechanisms contributing to the ultimate development of cardiomyopathy in these animals.

Accentuated sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) is a risk factor for cardiovascular events. In this review, we investigate our working hypothesis that potentiated activity of neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is the primary cause of experimental and essential hypertension. Over the past decade, we have examined how RVLM neurons regulate peripheral SNA, how the sympathetic and renin-angiotensin systems are correlated and how the sympathetic system can be suppressed to prevent cardiovascular events in patients. Based on results of whole-cell patch-clamp studies, we report that angiotensin II (Ang II) potentiated the activity of RVLM neurons, a sympathetic nervous center, whereas Ang II receptor blocker (ARB) reduced RVLM activities. Our optical imaging demonstrated that a longitudinal rostrocaudal column, including the RVLM and the caudal end of ventrolateral medulla, acts as a sympathetic center. By organizing and analyzing these data, we hope to develop therapies for reducing SNA in our patients. Recently, 2-year depressor effects were obtained by a single procedure of renal nerve ablation in patients with essential hypertension. The ablation injured not only the efferent renal sympathetic nerves but also the afferent renal nerves and led to reduced activities of the hypothalamus, RVLM neurons and efferent systemic sympathetic nerves. These clinical results stress the importance of the RVLM neurons in blood pressure regulation. We expect renal nerve ablation to be an effective treatment for congestive heart failure and chronic kidney disease, such as diabetic nephropathy.

Background-Patients with a reduced nonlinear component of heart rate regulation have a poorer outcome. Methods and Results-We investigated whether a nonlinear correlation between renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and blood pressure or renal blood flow is reduced in conscious, spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) by comparing them with normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). We also determined the linearity and nonlinearity of the correlation in SHR who were given an angiotensin II receptor blocker, candesartan, orally for 2 weeks. The RSNA value was higher in SHR than in WKY, and coherence peaks of transfer function were found at 0.05 and 0.80 Hz (ie, below respiratoryand cardiac-related fluctuations). The coherence (linearity) of the transfer function was significantly higher and gain was smaller in SHR than in WKY. Because mutual information values (linear and nonlinear correlation) were similar in both strains, we found the nonlinear correlation to be lower in SHR than in WKY. Time delay values calculated by the mutual information method demonstrated that RSNA preceded blood pressure and renal blood flow by 0.5 to 1.0 s. In SHR given candesartan, the RSNA value was lower, and the linearity was lower and nonlinearity higher than SHR given vehicle. Conclusions-Linear correlation between RSNA and blood pressure or renal blood flow was higher in SHR than in WKY, whereas the nonlinear correlation was lower. Oral treatment with candesartan increased the nonlinearity and reduced the linearity in SHR. Increased RSNA and the renin-angiotensin system may be responsible for the lower nonlinearity and higher linearity in hypertension. (Circulation. 2002;106:620-625.)

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Changes in the pattern of HRV prior to the onset of episodes of NSVT suggest that changes in autonomic activity may commonly play a role in the triggering of spontaneous episodes of NSVT in susceptible patients. The measured changes suggest a reduction in parasympathetic activity, perhaps in conjunction with an increase in sympathetic activity, may trigger NSVT.

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The mechanism of 1/f scaling of heartbeat intervals remains unknown. We recorded heartbeat intervals, sympathetic nerve activity, and blood pressure in conscious rats with normal or high blood pressure. Using nonlinear analyses, we demonstrate that the dynamics of this system of three variables is low-order chaos, and that sympathetic nerve activity leads to heartbeat interval and blood pressure changes. It is suggested that impaired regulation of blood pressure by sympathetic nerve activity is likely to cause experimentally observable steeper scaling of heartbeat intervals in hypertensive (high blood pressure) rats.