Baroreflex participation in redistribution of cardiac output at onset of exercise

The distribution of cardiac output and systemic vascular conductance was measured in five rabbits. Cardiac output was measured by ascending aortic flowmetry and was partitioned according to the distribution of 15-micron radiolabeled microspheres injected into the left atrium. The rabbits were studied under four conditions: at rest and after 20 s of treadmill exercise, both before and approximately 5 min after acute barodenervation of the conscious animal. During exercise in the baroinnervated state, approximately 40% of the increased blood flow to skeletal and cardiac muscle was contributed by diversion from the splanchnic organs, kidneys, systemic arteriovenous anastomoses, and skin. This diversion of blood flow during exercise was absent after arterial barodenervation. We conclude that at the onset of exercise in rabbits the mismatch between cardiac output and the metabolic demands of skeletal and cardiac muscle is accommodated by vasoconstriction in other vascular beds. We suggest that the vasoconstriction in the splanchnic organs and skin may be caused by transient suppression of the reflex effects of arterial baroreceptor input at the onset of exercise.