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Vasopressin contributes to the cardiovascular response to dynamic exercise
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
The American Journal of Physiology
|May 1, 1993
Summary
Vasopressin plays a role in cardiovascular adjustments during exercise. Blocking vasopressin V1 receptors lowered mean arterial pressure and altered blood flow distribution in exercising pigs.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Exercise Physiology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Vasopressin is a potent vasoconstrictor released during exercise.
- Its specific role in the cardiovascular response to dynamic exercise requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the contribution of vasopressin to cardiovascular regulation during treadmill exercise in miniswine.
- To test the hypothesis that vasopressin influences heart rate, blood pressure, and cardiac output during exercise.
Main Methods:
- Miniswine were instrumented to measure hemodynamic parameters and regional blood flow at rest and during exercise.
- Cardiovascular responses were assessed with and without selective vasopressin V1-receptor blockade using a specific antagonist.
Main Results:
- Vasopressin V1-receptor inhibition resulted in lower mean arterial pressure and higher cardiac output during exercise.
- Blockade attenuated exercise-induced decreases in colonic blood flow and reduced vascular resistance increases in abdominal organs.
- Heart rate and myocardial contractility responses to exercise remained unaffected by V1-receptor blockade.
Conclusions:
- Vasopressin significantly contributes to the increase in mean arterial pressure during dynamic exercise in miniswine.
- Vasopressin mediates the redistribution of cardiac output away from splanchnic organs towards other tissues during exercise.