Differential effects of hemorrhage on adrenal and renal nerve activity in anesthetized rats

Evidence that sympathetic outflow to organs with different functions reacts nonuniformly to various stimuli has accumulated. To clarify the difference in outflow characteristics of adrenal and renal nerves, the neural and neurochemical mechanisms involved in the response to hemorrhage were examined in anesthetized rats. Hemorrhage (2, 5, and 10 ml/kg) increased adrenal nerve activity (ANA) and decreased renal nerve activity (RNA) in a bleeding volume-dependent manner, accompanied with a decrease in mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. Bilateral vagotomy attenuated the response in ANA and completely abolished the response in RNA. Sinoaortic denervation (SAD) and vagotomy combined with SAD inversely decreased ANA during hemorrhage. However, SAD appears to have no effect on the response in RNA, which was completely abolished by combined denervation. Our results suggest that the differential effects of hemorrhage on ANA and RNA may be due to different contributions via the afferent neural pathways from the baro- and cardiopulmonary receptors. Because naloxone attenuated the dissociated response to hemorrhage, the endogenous opioid system may be involved.