Effects on blood pressure and autonomic nervous system function of a 12-week exercise or exercise plus DASH-diet intervention in individuals with elevated blood pressure.

AIM: Hypertension is related to abnormalities in autonomic nervous system (ANS) function, with increased sympathetic output and decreased parasympathetic tone. Lifestyle interventions are the first line of treatment in hypertension, and decreased blood pressure (BP) effects may be related to changes in ANS function. Using heart rate recovery (HRR) from exercise as an index of parasympathetic tone and plasma noradrenaline as an index of sympathetic tone, we investigated the effects of lifestyle interventions on ANS function in patients with elevated BP. METHODS: Sedentary participants with elevated BP were randomly assigned to either an exercise only (N = 25), exercise plus dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) diet (N = 12), or waitlist control (N = 15) 12-week intervention. Plasma noradrenaline was measured at rest and participants performed a peak exercise test before and after the intervention. HRR was calculated as peak heart rate (HR) minus HR at 1 min post-exercise. RESULTS: Heart rate recovery showed a significant group by time interaction; both intervention groups showed increases in HRR from pre- to post-intervention, while waitlist showed no change. Similarly, both exercise plus diet and exercise groups, but not waitlist, showed significant reductions in BP from pre- to post-intervention. Linear regression revealed that BP post-intervention was significantly predicted by change in HRR when controlling for pre-BP, age, gender and BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Lifestyle interventions induced training-reduced BP and altered autonomic tone, indexed by HRR. This study indicates the importance of behavioural modification in hypertension and that increased parasympathetic function is associated with success in reduction of BP.

Genetic regulation of catecholamine synthesis, storage and secretion in the spontaneously hypertensive rat.

Understanding catecholamine metabolism is crucial for elucidating the pathogenesis of hereditary hypertension. Here we integrated transcriptional and biochemical profiling with physiologic quantitative trait locus (eQTL and pQTL) mapping in adrenal glands of the HXB/BXH recombinant inbred (RI) strains, derived from the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) and normotensive Brown Norway (BN.Lx). We found simultaneous down-regulation of five heritable transcripts in the catecholaminergic pathway in young (6 weeks) SHRs. We identified cis-acting eQTLs for Dbh, Pnmt (catecholamine biosynthesis) and Vamp1 (catecholamine secretion); enzymatic activities of Dbh and Pnmt paralleled transcripts, with pQTLs for activities mirroring eQTLs. We also detected trans-regulated expression of Vmat1 and Chga (both involved in catecholamine storage), with co-localization of these trans-eQTLs to the Pnmt locus. Pnmt re-sequencing revealed promoter polymorphisms that result in decreased response of the transfected SHR promoter to glucocorticoid, compared with BN.Lx. Of physiological pertinence, Dbh activity negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure in RI strains, whereas Pnmt activity was negatively correlated with heart rate. The finding of such cis- and trans-QTLs at an age before the onset of frank hypertension suggests that these heritable changes in biosynthetic enzyme expression represent primary genetic mechanisms for regulation of catecholamine action and blood pressure control in this widely studied model of hypertension.

Common genetic variants in the chromogranin A promoter alter autonomic activity and blood pressure.

Chromogranin A (CHGA) is stored and released from the same secretory vesicles that contain catecholamines in chromaffin cells and noradrenergic neurons. We had previously identified common genetic variants at the CHGA locus in several human populations. Here we focus on whether inter-individual variants in the promoter region are of physiological significance. A common haplotype, CGATA (Hap-B), blunted the blood pressure response to cold stress and the effect exhibited molecular heterosis with the greatest blood pressure change found in Hap-A/Hap-B heterozygotes. Homozygosity for three minor alleles with peak effects within the haplotype predicted lower stress-induced blood pressure changes. The G-462A variant predicted resting blood pressure in the population with higher pressures occurring in heterozygotes (heterosis). Using cells transfected with CHGA promoter-luciferase reporter constructs, the Hap-B haplotype had decreased luciferase expression compared to the TTGTC (Hap-A) haplotype under both basal conditions and after activation by pre-ganglionic stimuli. The G-462A variant altered a COUP-TF transcriptional control motif. The two alleles in transfected promoters differed in basal activity and in the responses to COUP-II-TF transactivation and to retinoic acid. In vitro findings of molecular heterosis were also noted with the transfected CHGA promoter wherein the diploid combination of the two G-462A alleles gave rise to higher luciferase expression than either allele in isolation. Our results suggest that common genetic variants in the CHGA promoter may regulate heritable changes in blood pressure.

Contributions of the sympathetic nervous system, glutathione, body mass and gender to blood pressure increase with normal aging: influence of heredity.

Body mass and sympathetic activity increase with aging and might underlie blood pressure (BP) elevation. Increased body mass index (BMI) may elevate BP by increasing sympathetic activity. Glutathione (GSH) can decrease BP, and declines with aging. We measured systolic (SBP) and diastolic BP, BMI, plasma (NE(pl)) and urine norepinephrine (NEu), and plasma GSH in n=204 twins across the age spectrum. BP correlated directly with BMI, NEpl, and NEu, but inversely with GSH. Age correlated with BP, BMI, NEpl, and NEu. BP, BMI, NEpl, and NEu were higher in older subjects than younger subjects, whereas GSH was lower with aging. In older subjects with high (above median) NEpl, SBP was 8 mmHg higher than in those of comparable age with low NE. In younger subjects with high GSH, BP was significantly lower than in younger subjects having low GSH. NEu was significantly reduced in young high-BMI subjects vs young low-BMI subjects. The heritability (h2) of NEpl, NEu, and GSH ranged from approximately 50 to approximately 70%, and these biochemical quantities were considerably more heritable than BP. We conclude that increases in sympathetic activity contribute to aging-induced SBP elevations, especially in older females. GSH reductions apparently participate in aging-induced BP elevations, most strongly in males. BMI increases contribute to BP elevations, particularly in younger subjects. BMI elevations apparently raise BP mainly by peripheral mechanisms, with generally little sympathetic activation. Substantial h(2) for plasma GSH, NE, and urine NE suggests that such traits may be useful 'intermediate phenotypes' in the search for genetic determinants of BP.

Elevated S-adenosylhomocysteine in Alzheimer brain: influence on methyltransferases and cognitive function.

Hyperhomocysteinemia is common in Alzheimer's disease and is negatively correlated with cognitive function. Hyperhomocysteinemia can increase S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), a potent methyltransferase inhibitor. This study investigates the role of brain SAH in the cognitive and neurological disruption in Alzheimer's disease. SAH was significantly (26%) higher in prefrontal cortex of Alzheimer patients than normals. Brain homogenates from Alzheimer patients inhibited an exogenous methyltransferase 15% more than normal homogenates (P <.001). Brain SAH levels correlated (r=.508) with methyltransferase inhibition by brain homogenates. Methyltransferase inhibition by Alzheimer brain homogenates correlated inversely with cognitive function as determined by MMSE (r=-0.36). Phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) and catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) activities were more than 30% lower (P<0.001) in Alzheimer than normal brains. Brain PNMT activity correlated significantly with cognitive function (r=0.243), age of Alzheimer's onset (r=0.272), and choline acetyltransferase activity (r=0.333), but negatively with neurofibrillary tangles (r=-0.332). COMT activity also correlated significantly with cognitive function (r=0.324), age of disease onset (r=0.209), choline acetyltransferase activity (r=0.326), levels of synaptophysin (r=0.506), and negatively with tangles (r=-0.216 P=0.039). Elevated SAH in Alzheimer brain inhibits methyltransferases and is related to markers of disease progression and cognitive impairment.

Early and persistent alterations in prefrontal cortex MAO A and B in Alzheimer's disease.

Both monoamine oxidase (MAO) A and MAO B in the brain have been implicated in the etiology of Alzheimer's disease. MAO B is elevated in plaque-associated glia in Alzheimer brain. Elevations in MAO A in Alzheimer neurons have been linked to increases in neurotoxic metabolites and neuron loss. We investigated the relationship between cognitive function in Alzheimer patients and post-mortem prefrontal cortex MAO A and B activities. Prefrontal cortex tissue from 92 Alzheimer patients and 74 neurologically normal subjects was obtained at autopsy and analyzed for activities of MAO A and B by radioenzymatic methods. Mini Mental Status Exam was performed on Alzheimer patients within 1 year of death. Alzheimer brains were analyzed for Braak stage, tangles, plaques and choline acetyltransferase activity. Prefrontal cortex MAO B activity was significantly increased by 16% in Alzheimer patients versus normals, whereas MAO A activity was significantly decreased by 17% in these same patients. Neither MAO A nor MAO B activities correlated with cognitive function (MMSE score), choline acetyltransferase activity, plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, Braak stage, or age of disease onset in the Alzheimer patients. With increasing Alzheimer duration or increasing Braak stage, MMSE scores and choline acetyltransferase activity declined, but levels of MAO A and B in prefrontal cortex were unchanged. Patients in the upper quintile for MAO A or B activity did not differ significantly from those in the lowest quintile with respect to MMSE scores or age of Alzheimer disease onset. We conclude that the changes in MAO A and B in the prefrontal cortex occur very early in Alzheimer's disease and remain relatively constant as the disease progresses.

Decrease in the plasma von Willebrand factor concentration following glucose ingestion: the role of insulin sensitivity.

Elevated plasma von Willebrand factor (vWF) concentration is thought to be associated with increased prevalence of cardiovascular events in the insulin resistance syndrome. We examined the effects of oral glucose challenge and accompanying metabolic and hemodynamic changes on vWF levels with respect to insulin sensitivity. Forty normotensive and hypertensive subjects (mean age +/- SD, 40 +/- 5 years) underwent a standard oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Plasma vWF antigen, glucose, insulin, catecholamines, and hemodynamics were measured at rest, and at 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes after glucose intake. Insulin sensitivity was determined by the insulin sensitivity index (ISI(0,120)). Resting plasma vWF concentration was associated with screening systolic blood pressure (BP) (r =.43, P =.005). There were time effects for all variables of interest. While vWF antigen (P =.044), epinephrine (P =.003), and diastolic BP (P =.001) decreased after glucose challenge, norepinephrine (P =.009), systolic BP (P =.022), and heart rate (P <.001) increased. Decline in vWF (area under the curve) was associated with decrease in epinephrine (r =.46, P =.004) and with screening systolic BP (r =.45, P =.004). However, neither resting plasma vWF levels nor vWF decrease following glucose ingestion were significantly associated with the ISI(0,120.) The plasma vWF concentration decreases following glucose ingestion. While mechanisms underlying this phenomenon may relate to sympathetic nervous system function, they seem not related to insulin sensitivity. Endothelial dysfunction such as caused by hypertension rather than metabolic dysregulation per se may underlie the elevated plasma vWF concentration found with insulin resistance.

Marked exacerbation of orthostatic intolerance after long- vs. short-duration spaceflight in veteran astronauts.

OBJECTIVE: The incidence of postflight orthostatic intolerance after short-duration spaceflight is about 20%. However, the incidence after long-duration spaceflight was unknown. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that orthostatic intolerance is more severe after long-duration than after short-duration flight. METHODS: We performed tilt tests on six astronauts before and after long-duration (129-190 days) spaceflights and compared these data with data obtained during stand tests before and after previous short-duration missions. RESULTS: Five of the six astronauts studied became presyncopal during tilt testing after long-duration flights. Only one had become presyncopal during stand testing after short-duration flights. We also compared the long-duration flight tilt test data to tilt test data from 20 different astronauts who flew on the short-duration Shuttle missions that delivered and recovered the astronauts to and from the Mir Space Station. Five of these 20 astronauts became presyncopal on landing day. Heart rate responses to tilt were no different between astronauts on long-duration flights and astronauts on short-duration flights, but long-duration subjects had lower stroke volumes and cardiac outputs than short-duration presyncopal subjects, suggesting a possible decrease in cardiac contractile function. One subject had subnormal norepinephrine release with upright posture after the long flight but not after the short flight. Plasma volume losses were not greater after long flights. CONCLUSION: Long-duration spaceflight markedly increases orthostatic intolerance, probably with multiple contributing factors.

Peripheral leukocyte subpopulations and catecholamine levels in astronauts as a function of mission duration.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of spaceflight duration on immune cells and their relationship to catecholamine levels. METHODS: Eleven astronauts who flew aboard five different US Space Shuttle flights ranging in duration from 4 to 16 days were studied before launch and after landing. RESULTS: Consistent with prior studies, spaceflight was associated with a significant increase in the number of circulating white blood cells (p <.01), including neutrophils (p <.01), monocytes (p <.05), CD3+CD4+ T-helper cells (p <.05), and CD19+ B cells (p <.01). In contrast, the number of CD3-CD16+56+ natural killer cells was decreased (p <.01). Plasma norepinephrine levels were increased at landing (p <.01) and were significantly correlated with the number of white blood cells (p <.01), neutrophils (p <.01), monocytes (p <.01), and B cells (p <.01). Astronauts who were in space for approximately 1 week showed a significantly larger increase on landing in plasma norepinephrine (p =.02) and epinephrine (p =.03) levels, as well as number of circulating CD3+CD4+ T-helper cells (p <.05) and CD3+CD8+ T-cytotoxic cells (p <.05) as compared with astronauts in space for approximately 2 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The data suggest that the stress of spaceflight and landing may lead to a sympathetic nervous system-mediated redistribution of circulating leukocytes, an effect potentially attenuated after longer missions.

Gender differences in autonomic cardiovascular regulation: spectral, hormonal, and hemodynamic indexes.

The autonomic nervous system drives variability in heart rate, vascular tone, cardiac ejection, and arterial pressure, but gender differences in autonomic regulation of the latter three parameters are not well documented. In addition to mean values, we used spectral analysis to calculate variability in arterial pressure, heart rate (R-R interval, RRI), stroke volume, and total peripheral resistance (TPR) and measured circulating levels of catecholamines and pancreatic polypeptide in two groups of 25 +/- 1.2-yr-old, healthy men and healthy follicular-phase women (40 total subjects, 10 men and 10 women per group). Group 1 subjects were studied supine, before and after beta- and muscarinic autonomic blockades, administered singly and together on separate days of study. Group 2 subjects were studied supine and drug free with the additional measurement of skin perfusion. In the unblocked state, we found that circulating levels of epinephrine and total spectral power of stroke volume, TPR, and skin perfusion ranged from two to six times greater in men than in women. The difference (men > women) in spectral power of TPR was maintained after beta- and muscarinic blockades, suggesting that the greater oscillations of vascular resistance in men may be alpha-adrenergically mediated. Men exhibited muscarinic buffering of mean TPR whereas women exhibited beta-adrenergic buffering of mean TPR as well as TPR and heart rate oscillations. Women had a greater distribution of RRI power in the breathing frequency range and a less negative slope of ln RRI power vs. ln frequency, both indicators that parasympathetic stimuli were the dominant influence on women's heart rate variability. The results of our study suggest a predominance of sympathetic vascular regulation in men compared with a dominant parasympathetic influence on heart rate regulation in women.

Epinephrine, vasodilation and hemoconcentration in syncopal, healthy men and women.

Healthy young people may become syncopal during standing, head up tilt (HUT) or lower body negative pressure (LBNP). To evaluate why this happens we measured hormonal indices of autonomic activity along with arterial pressure (AP), heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), total peripheral resistance (TPR) and measures of plasma volume. Three groups of normal volunteers (n = 56) were studied supine, before and during increasing levels of orthostatic stress: slow onset, low level, lower body negative pressure (LBNP) (Group 1), 70 degrees head up tilt (HUT) (Group 2) or rapid onset, high level, LBNP (Group 3). In all groups, syncopal subjects demonstrated a decline in TPR that paralleled the decline in AP over the last 40 s of orthostatic stress. Ten to twenty seconds after the decline in TPR. HR also started to decline but SV increased, resulting in a net increase of CO during the same period. Plasma volume (PV, calculated from change in hematocrit) declined in both syncopal and nonsyncopal subjects to a level commensurate with the stress, i.e. Group 3 > Group 2 > Group 1. The rate of decline of PV, calculated from the change in PV divided by the time of stress, was greater (p < 0.01) in syncopal than in nonsyncopal subjects. When changes in vasoactive hormones were normalized by time of stress, increases in norepinephrine (p < 0.012, Groups 2 and 3) and epinephrine (p < 0.025, Group 2) were greater and increases in plasma renin activity were smaller (p < 0.05, Group 2) in syncopal than in nonsyncopal subjects. We conclude that the presyncopal decline in blood pressure in otherwise healthy young people resulted from declining peripheral resistance associated with plateauing norepinephrine and plasma renin activity, rising epinephrine and rising blood viscosity. The increased hemoconcentration probably reflects increased rate of venous pooling rather than rate of plasma filtration and, together with cardiovascular effects of imbalances in norepinephrine, epinephrine and plasma renin activity may provide afferent information leading to syncope.

Effect of continuous positive airway pressure and placebo treatment on sympathetic nervous activity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: We studied the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on sympathetic nervous activity in 38 patients with obstructive sleep apnea. DESIGN: Randomized, placebo-controlled trial. SETTING: Patients underwent polysomnography on three occasions in a clinical research center, and had BP monitored over 24 h at home. All of the patients had sleep apnea with a respiratory disturbance index (RDI) > 15. INTERVENTIONS: The patients were randomized blindly to CPAP or placebo (CPAP at ineffective pressure) treatment. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: Prior to therapy, the number of apneas and the severity of nocturnal hypoxia correlated significantly with daytime urinary norepinephrine (NE) levels, but not nighttime urinary NE levels. CPAP treatment lowered daytime BP from 99 +/- 2 mm Hg to 95 +/- 3 mm Hg (mean +/- SEM) and nighttime BP from 93 +/- 3 mm Hg to 88 +/- 3 mm Hg. Placebo CPAP treatment decreased both day and night mean BP only 2 mm Hg. CPAP, but not placebo, treatment lowered daytime plasma NE levels by 23%, daytime urine NE levels by 36%, daytime heart rate by 2.6 beats/min, and increased lymphocyte beta(2)-adrenergic receptor sensitivity (all p < 0.05). The effect of CPAP treatment on nighttime urine NE levels and heart rate did not differ from placebo treatment. There was a suggestion of an effect of placebo CPAP treatment on nighttime measures, but not on daytime measures. CONCLUSION: We conclude that daytime sympathetic nervous activation is greater with more severe sleep apnea. CPAP treatment diminished the daytime sympathetic activation; the potential nighttime effect of CPAP treatment was obscured by a small placebo effect.

Catecholamines in human saliva.

Catecholamines are readily detectable in human saliva but their origin is unclear. Norepinephrine (NE) was stable in saliva stored at 4 degrees for 2 hours but 11 +/- 3% degraded after storage at 25 degrees for 1 hour. We intravenously infused 3H-NE into humans and measured levels of 3H-NE and its metabolites in both saliva and forearm venous plasma (a site whose plasma NE levels reflect both local uptake and release of NE). 3H-NE levels in saliva continued to rise for 1 hour even though forearm plasma levels had plateaued by 5 min. By 65 min into the infusion the ratio of 3H-NE:non-radioactive NE was similar in saliva and forearm venous plasma. The ratio of NE:epinephrine (E) was similar in saliva and forearm venous plasma at all time points. Chewing induced salivation, and at least tripled the amount of NE, E and 3H-NE released into saliva per minute, but decreased their concentration in saliva by as much as one half. Saliva NE level was unaltered after 15 min of standing but was increased by 31% after 1 hour of upright posture. Our data imply that the NE present in human saliva comes from both the bloodstream and from salivary sympathetic nerves. The finding that diffusion of blood NE into saliva takes roughly 1 hour to complete suggests that NE in saliva is a poor index of acute changes in sympathetic activity.

Continuous positive airway pressure normalizes cardiac autonomic and hemodynamic responses to a laboratory stressor in apneic patients.

OBJECTIVES: We examined the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment for sleep apnea on cardiac contractility, heart rate variability, and hemodynamics at rest and in response to a laboratory stressor. SUBJECTS AND INSTRUMENTATION: Forty-one apneic patients were studied on three occasions: before treatment, after 1 full night of CPAP treatment, and after 1 week of CPAP treatment. The subjects were randomly assigned to receive effective treatment or placebo. Contractility and hemodynamics were determined with impedance cardiography, and parasympathetic activity was assessed by analysis of heart rate variability. Measures were determined at rest and in response to a stressor. DESIGN AND RESULTS: For the cardiac sympathetic (contractility) measures (preejection period, cardiac acceleration index [CAI], and low-frequency/high-frequency ratio) significant interactions were found in the combination treatment (CPAP vs placebo) by study day (day 1, day 3, day 11) by test period (baseline, preparation, talking) [p < 0.01]. For these measures, there were no differences between the treatment groups or responses to the stressor on day 1. Levels in placebo-treated subjects did not change or respond on the subsequent study days. In the CPAP-treated subjects, there was a decrease in these indexes at baseline, which became significantly lower by day 11 (ie, CAI levels were 24 Omega/s(2), 22 Omega/s(2), and 14 Omega/s(2) on day 1, day 3, and day 11, respectively). These measures also became responsive to the stressor by showing increased sympathetic activity (CAI levels on day 11 were 14 Omega/s(2) at baseline, 32 Omega/s(2) during speech preparation, and 36 Omega/s(2) while speaking). The parasympathetic indexes, such as high-frequency power or band of heart rate variability as determined by spectral analysis, showed a significant day-by-treatment interaction (p < 0.005), whereas the CPAP- treated group had significantly more parasympathetic activity after 1 week of treatment. For the hemodynamic measures (stroke volume [SV], cardiac output, and systemic vascular resistance [SVR]), there were significant treatment-by-study day-by-test-period interactions (p < 0.01). SV and cardiac output increased across days, and SVR decreased in the CPAP-treated patients. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that CPAP normalizes contractility, increases cardiac vagal tone, and changes hemodynamic regulation from being resistance dominated to being cardiac dominated. Thus, after 1 week of treatment with CPAP, many of the indicators of poor cardiac functioning in apnea patients are improved.

Mood states and impedance cardiography-derived hemodynamics.

OBJECTIVE: This exploratory study investigated the relation between psychological mood states and hemodynamic variables obtained at rest. METHODS: We measured resting hemodynamic variables using impedance cardiography, blood pressure, heart rate, and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) in 71 participants. RESULTS: Mood states were not significantly associated with heart rate, systolic, diastolic, or mean arterial pressure. In comparison with these basic measures of physiology, a number of impedance derived measures of hemodynamics were associated with mood states. Log stroke volume was negatively correlated with POMS tension-anxiety (r = -.319, p = .009) and fatigue-inertia (r = -. 316, p = .009). Log cardiac output was negatively associated with fatigue-inertia (r = -.346, p < .01). Log total peripheral vascular resistance was positively correlated with POMS fatigue-inertia (r = .276, p = .024). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that mood states are associated with hemodynamic variables underlying blood pressure.

Obstructive sleep apnea and hypertension: are peripheral chemoreceptors involved?

The mechanism of pathogenesis of hypertension in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is unknown. Many investigators point to the high sympathetic nervous system activity (SNS) observed in OSA patients. However, there is no clear explanation as to the mechanism for the development of SNS hyperactivity in these patients. A common feature of patients with OSA is repetitive bouts of transient hypoxemia during sleep. Repetitive transient hypoxemia in rats has resulted in hypertension. In OSA patients, resolution of nocturnal hypoxemia with CPAP has corrected nocturnal and diurnal hypertension. Also, exposure to hyperoxia reduces blood pressure and sympathetic activity in OSA patients, but not in normals. These data suggest a significant role of peripheral chemoreceptors in the regulation of vascular tone. We hypothesize that peripheral chemoreceptors significantly contribute to the pathogenesis of hypertension in patients with OSA and that this is associated with chemoreceptor hyperactivity. This implies that correcting the intermittent nocturnal hypoxemia alone may prevent the cardiovascular morbidity associated with obstructive sleep apnea.