The influence of muscle interstitial volume on K+-induced heart rate drive in rats

During exercise heart rate is influenced by reflexogenic drives which are elicited by receptors situated in the interstitial space. Since the structure of interstitial tissue is complex (e.g. fixed negative charges of glycosaminoglycans), the situation in the immediate surrounding of the receptors might differ from the free fluid phases of blood or lymph in which the concentrations of stimulating substances are usually determined. Physiological variations of the interstitial structure may be due to changes in interstitial volume induced by exercise or the hydrostatic effects on body fluids. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of the interstitial volume on the relationship between heart rate and K+ stimuli applied through the muscle blood vessels. The calves of 12 male Wistar rats were artificially perfused and separated from the rest of the body with the sciatic nerve remaining intact. In these preparations the heart rate (HR) responses to low (4 mM) and high (8 mM) potassium concentrations were determined at different interstitial volumes. Expansion of the interstitial volume was obtained by reducing the colloid-osmotic pressure of the perfusate. The combination of intracellular oedema and mechanical limitation of total volume expansion (tapeing) was utilized to decrease the interstitial volume. When switching between the low and high potassium concentrations, significant heart rate responses could be observed only with reduced interstitial volume. It is suggested that the interstitial structure surrounding the muscular receptors modifies the relationship between heart rate response and the K+ stimuli determined in blood or lymph.