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Updated: Aug 20, 2026

Cardiac Pressure-Volume Loop Analysis Using Conductance Catheters in Mice
Published on: September 17, 2015
Effect of losartan on muscle sympathetic activity and baroreceptor function in systemic hypertension
Markus Béchir1, Frank Enseleit, Rémy Chenevard
1Cardiovascular Center, Cardiology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland. markus.bechir@ksb.ch <markus.bechir@ksb.ch>
Abstract:
Angiotensin II directly stimulates muscle sympathetic nerve activity and facilitates adrenergic sympathetic transmission. The hypotheses that the chronic blockade of angiotensin II receptors (AT(1) type) reduces muscle sympathetic activity and that there is an interaction with baroreceptor function in patients with mild to moderate hypertension were investigated. Muscle sympathetic nerve activity decreased from 51.7 +/- 3.5 to 45.9 +/- 4.2 bursts/min (p = 0.022), and cardiac baroreceptor sensitivity increased from 3.2 +/- 1.3 to 4.9 +/- 1.8 ms/mm Hg (p = 0.007). This study for the first time demonstrates that in hypertensive patients, chronic AT(1) receptor antagonism inhibits muscle sympathetic nerve activity and that baroreceptor function is improved under these conditions.
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