Cardiovascular changes in elicited by vagal gastric afferents in the rat

Cardiovascular changes elicited by gastric distension in the urethane anaesthetized rat are described. Heart rate changes were mediated via a vago-vagal pathway with 'in-series' tension receptors in the stomach wall providing the afferent input and cholinergic cardio-inhibitory fibres forming the efferent pathway. Blood pressure changes occurred independently of the heart rate changes; the main afferent pathway was again vagal but the efferent outflow was non-cholinergic and probably sympathetic.