A closed-loop approach to monitor and manipulate the neural control of blood pressure

Arterial baroreceptors are mechanosensitive nerve endings that detect blood pressure deviations and transmit this information to the central nervous system via vagal afferent neurons. Vagal afferent neuron cell bodies reside in the nodose ganglion (NG) and they terminate in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) within the brainstem, thus serving as a critical component of the baroreflex circuitry. We previously found that specific angiotensin-sensitive vagal afferent nerve terminals within the NTS (referred to as NTS^AT1aR afferents) are sufficient to initiate baroreflex responses in both normotensive and hypertensive conditions.

Here, we developed a closed-loop system in mice to monitor blood pressure and target NTS^AT1aR afferents with optogenetic stimulation. To determine the efficacy of the system, mice were subjected to acute pressor stimuli, including restraint or subcutaneous delivery of Ang-II, and delivered optical stimulation by the system until blood pressure returned below threshold.

The closed-loop system is effective in attenuating acute elevations in blood pressure induced by physiological or psychological stressors. by initiating compensatory mechanisms to reduce heart rate and blood pressure. However, blood pressure did return to below threshold levels within similar time frames in stimulated and in stimulation-paired control mice.

While some existing approaches that lower blood pressure target similar neural pathways, they do not take such a closed-loop tactic.

The implication is that this closed-loop system, coupled with the optogenetic targeting of NTS^AT1aR afferents, may be exploited to understand and alleviate hypertension.