Carotid baroreceptor influence on forearm vascular resistance during low level lower body negative pressure

The degree of forearm vasoconstriction induced by low levels of lower body negative pressure (LBNP) provides a measure of the responsiveness of the cardiopulmonary baroreflex. The validity of this measurement is based on the assumption that this vasoconstriction response is not influenced by unloading of carotid baroreceptors. To test the hypothesis that arterial baroreceptor unloading does not alter the degree of forearm vascular resistance during low levels of LBNP, we exposed 12 subjects to -15 and -20 mm Hg LBNP with and without additional artificial (+10 mm Hg neck pressure) unloading of the carotid baroreceptors. There was no measurable influence of carotid unloading on forearm vascular resistance at either level of LBNP. We conclude that forearm vascular resistance measured during cardiopulmonary baroreceptor unloading is unaffected by carotid baroreceptor unloading within the magnitude encountered during low levels of LBNP.