Adrenergic and pressure-induced modulation of carotid sinus baroreceptors in rabbit

The sympathetic control of the carotid sinus baroreceptor activity was studied in rabbits. Stimulation of the cervical sympathetic trunk (10 Hz, 1 ms, 4-12 V) elicited an increase in discharge frequency of the non-medullated baroreceptor afferents but not of the medullated fibers. An isolated carotid sinus area preparation was used to examine the influence of noradrenaline perfusion on baroreceptor activity. Non-medullated baroreceptor afferents, but not the medullated afferents, responded to noradrenaline perfusion (10(-6) g/ml) with a significant increase in firing rate. Short-term resetting of the baroreceptors was also studied with the same preparation. After perfusing the sinus at a hypertensive level for 30 min the pressure-response curves of both the non-medullated and the medullated baroreceptor afferents shifted to the right with increased thresholds and decreased maximal discharge frequencies. The extent of the short-term resetting was greater in non-medullated afferents than in medullated ones. It is concluded that the carotid sinus baroreceptors with non-medullated afferents are under the sympathetic control. The physiological significance of this is discussed.