Acute responses of renal nerve activity to microgravity induced by free drop in anesthetized rats

To examine acute cardiovascular and autonomic responses to microgravity (microG), arterial pressure (AP), aortic flow velocity (AFV), central venous pressure (CVP), and renal nerve activity (RNA) were measured in anesthetized rats during 4.5 s of microG produced by free drop. A smooth and immediate reduction in gravity occurred during free drop, microG being achieved 100 ms after the start of the drop. Acute microG elicited an immediate and striking, but transient, decrease in RNA with no significant change in AP and AFV, but a significant decrease in CVP. The decrease in RNA lasted 2 s, then RNA recovered to the control level despite the G value remaining at < 0.001 for 4.5 s. The RNA decrease was attenuated or completely abolished by sinoaortic denervation, vagotomy, or sinoaortic denervation plus vagotomy. These results suggest that acute microG conditions stimulate sinoaortic and cardiopulmonary mechanoreceptors and suppress RNA.