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Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 278: R1616-R1626, 2000;
0363-6119/00 $5.00
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Vol. 278, Issue 6, R1616-R1626, June 2000

Defenselike patterns of spinal sympathetic outflow involving the 10-Hz and cardiac-related rhythms

Gerard L. Gebber, Sheng Zhong, Craig Lewis, and Susan M. Barman

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1317


    ABSTRACT
TOP
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
REFERENCES

Frequency- and time-domain analyses were used to compare the effects of stimulation of the defense region of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) on the 10-Hz and cardiac-related discharges of sympathetic nerves with different cardiovascular targets. In baroreceptor-denervated cats anesthetized with urethan, PAG stimulation at frequencies equal to or higher (up to 25 Hz) than that of the free-running 10-Hz rhythm produced an immediate and sustained decrease in vertebral sympathetic nerve (VN) 10-Hz activity but increased the 10-Hz discharges of the inferior cardiac (CN) and renal (RN) nerves. In baroreceptor-innervated cats, VN cardiac-related activity was initially unchanged by high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation, or it increased along with that in the CN and RN. Later, during high-frequency PAG stimulation, when the rise in blood pressure approached its peak, VN cardiac-related activity usually was reduced below control level. At this time, the increases in CN and RN cardiac-related discharges were largely sustained. The cardiac-related discharges of the three nerves were unaffected by PAG stimulation at frequencies just below or just above that of the heartbeat. We conclude that the defenselike pattern of spinal sympathetic outflow involving the 10-Hz rhythm is different in mechanism and character from that involving the cardiac-related rhythm.

baroreceptor reflex; coupled oscillators; midbrain periaqueductal gray; sympathetic nerve discharge


    INTRODUCTION
TOP
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
REFERENCES

WE HAVE OFFERED A NOVEL HYPOTHESIS on the mechanisms involved in formulating differential patterns of spinal sympathetic outflow in the baroreceptor-denervated cat that include reciprocal changes in the 10-Hz discharges of postganglionic nerves with different cardiovascular targets (15). Rather than viewing such patterns as arising from the activation of point-to-point hard-wired connections that excite some cell groups and inhibit others, our hypothesis is based on the principles of nonlinear dynamics and self-organization within large-scale neural networks. Specifically, we proposed that the reciprocal changes in spinal sympathetic outflow to the heart and forelimb vasculature induced by electrical activation of the defense region of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) arise as the consequence of reorganization of the coupling of multiple brain stem oscillators that generate a 10-Hz rhythm (14, 18). We found that the increase in the 10-Hz discharges of the inferior cardiac nerve (CN) and decrease in vertebral nerve (VN) 10-Hz activity produced by PAG stimulation were accompanied by lengthening of the phase lag of VN activity relative to CN activity. The change in phase angle was presumed to reflect reorganization of the coupling of the oscillators controlling the CN and VN, which innervate the heart and forelimb vasculature, respectively (20). The reciprocal changes in CN and VN 10-Hz activities and lengthening of the CN-VN phase angle were observed during high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG activation or when the rhythm was entrained 1:1 to frequencies of PAG stimulation equal to or just above that of the free-running rhythm. The magnitude of the change in CN-VN phase angle was directly related to the extent to which PAG activation reciprocally affected the 10-Hz discharges of the two nerves. The view that changes in the phase relations among coupled brain stem oscillators lead to differential changes in the 10-Hz discharges of sympathetic nerves with different targets was supported by the responses to lower frequencies of PAG stimulation. Quite remarkably, VN 10-Hz activity increased, rather than decreased, when the frequency of stimulation was reduced to just below that of the free-running rhythm. In cases when CN and VN 10-Hz discharges were uniformly increased by the lower frequencies of PAG activation, there was no change in the CN-VN phase angle. These results suggest that changes in the frequency of PAG stimulation lead a system of coupled brain stem 10-Hz oscillators with different peripheral targets through a repertoire of self-organized states, each of which is characterized by a different set of phase relations and, thus, a different pattern of spinal sympathetic outflow (15).

The primary goal of the present study was to compare the changes produced by PAG stimulation on the cardiac-related and 10-Hz discharges of sympathetic nerves with different targets. Because the cardiac-related and 10-Hz rhythms in sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) are generated independently by different groups of brain stem neurons (1, 4), we determined whether the pattern of spinal sympathetic outflow produced by activation of the defense region of the PAG is dependent on the preexisting rhythm in SND. This was shown to be the case. The results support the view that the mechanisms responsible for the patterns of spinal sympathetic outflow involving the 10-Hz and cardiac-related rhythms are different.

A second goal was to test the hypothesis (15) that the reciprocal changes in sympathetic outflow to the heart (CN) and forelimb vasculature (VN) induced by PAG stimulation represent an electrophysiological correlate of the defense reaction. Because sympathetic vasoconstrictor outflow to the kidney is increased during the defense reaction (17), we predicted that the 10-Hz discharges of the renal sympathetic nerve (RN) would be increased during the reciprocal changes in CN and VN activities induced by PAG stimulation. This was found to be the case.


    METHODS
TOP
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
REFERENCES

Experimental animals and general procedures. The protocols used in the experiments on adult cats (2.2-3.8 kg) of either gender were approved by the All-University Committee on Animal Use and Care of Michigan State University. The cats were initially anesthetized with 2.5% isoflurane mixed with 100% oxygen. Urethan (1.2-1.8 g/kg iv) was then administered, and isoflurane inhalation was terminated. This dose range of urethan maintains a surgical level of anesthesia for a period (8-10 h) that exceeded the duration of our experiments (12).

Blood pressure was measured from a catheter inserted into the abdominal aorta via a femoral artery. In baroreceptor-innervated cats, an intravenous infusion of norepinephrine bitartrate (1-3 µg/min) in dextran (6% in saline) was used, when necessary, to maintain resting mean blood pressure at >100 mmHg. SND contained a strong cardiac-related rhythm under these conditions. Spontaneous respiration during urethan anesthesia was eupneic with end-tidal CO2 (Traverse Medial Monitors capnometer model 2200) in the normocapnic range. Subsequently, the animal was paralyzed with gallamine triethiodide (4 mg/kg iv initial dose) and artificially ventilated with room air, and a bilateral pneumothoracotomy was performed. End-tidal CO2 was kept between 4.0 and 4.5% by adjusting the parameters of artificial ventilation; rectal temperature was maintained near 38°C with a heat lamp. Baroreceptor denervation was performed by bilateral section of the carotid sinus, aortic depressor, and vagus nerves (3). The cardiac-related rhythm in SND was replaced by a variable mixture of the 10-Hz rhythm and irregular oscillations at frequencies <= 6 Hz after section of these nerves. Baroreceptor denervation eliminated the inhibition of SND induced by raising blood pressure with a bolus injection of norepinephrine bitartrate (2 µg/kg iv).

Neural recordings and central stimulation. By using the methods described by Gebber et al. (14), potentials were recorded monophasically with bipolar platinum electrodes from the central ends of the cut left CN, VN, and RN. These nerves project to the heart and vasculature of the forelimb and kidney, respectively. Nerve recordings initially were made with the band pass of the preamplifiers (model 7P3, Grass) set at 1-1,000 Hz so that bursts of multiunit spikes appeared as slow waves (3, 8). The data were stored on magnetic tape and hard drive for off-line analysis.

After removal of medial portions of the occipital bone and cerebellum, bipolar stainless steel electrodes (model SNE-100, Rhodes) mounted on a DKI stereotaxic instrument were positioned into the PAG at a level caudal to the bony tentorium, with the inferior colliculi and cerebral aqueduct used as landmarks. A Grass S8800 quartz-timed digital stimulator and PSIU 6 constant-current unit were used to deliver 1-ms square-wave pulses of variable intensity and frequency through the electrodes that had 0.25-mm tip exposures separated by 0.75 mm. The histological methods used to identify sites of stimulation are described in an earlier report from this laboratory (15). Relative to the stereotaxic coordinates of Snider and Niemer (21), the sites of stimulation were P1-P2, L1-L2 (left), and H+3-H0. These sites are contained in the defense region of the caudal PAG, as defined by Carrive (6, 7).

Data analysis. The frequency- and time-domain methods of analysis have been described previously (15). Briefly, spectral analysis was performed by fast Fourier transform (FFT) with use of a modified version (14) of the programs written by Cohen et al. (9) and Koscis et al. (20). FFT was performed after SND had been low-pass filtered at 50 Hz. The sampling rate of 200 Hz yielded a resolution of 0.2 Hz/bin. The resultant spectra usually were averages of 32 5-s data windows with 50% overlap for 80-s data blocks and 75% overlap for 40-s data blocks. In some instances, however, autospectra for consecutive 5-s data samples were displayed in an array (i.e., "waterfall"). FFT yielded autospectra of SND and the arterial pulse (AP). In addition, coherence functions (i.e., normalized cross spectra) and phase spectra relating pairs of signals were calculated from the same windows. The autospectrum of a signal shows how much power (voltage squared) is present at each frequency. The coherence function measures the strength of linear correlation (scale 0-1.0) of pairs of signals as a function of frequency. The phase spectrum provides a measure of the timing of the second signal in the pair relative to that of the first (scale ±180°). Although FFT was performed over a band of 0-100 Hz, the spectra are displayed on a scale of 0-20 Hz or 0-10 Hz to focus attention on the 10-Hz and cardiac-related rhythms in SND. The 0- to 20-Hz band contains >90% of the total power in SND (3).

A macro written in Microsoft Excel version 7.0 was used to measure power above background activity in the 10-Hz and cardiac-related bands of SND. A line was fitted to connect the left and right limits of the sharp peak near 10 Hz or at the frequency of the heartbeat in the autospectrum of SND. Power in these bands was calculated as the area above the line. Changes in power produced by PAG stimulation are expressed as a percentage of control. The Student's t-test (paired comparison) was used to test for significant changes (P <=  0.05) in power of SND, coherence values (after z-transformation), and phase angles. Values are means ± SE.

Time-series analysis was performed using software written by Lewis and used by Gebber et al. (15). The program was used to make cycle-by-cycle measurements of peak systolic blood pressure (mmHg), peak-to-trough sympathetic nerve slow-wave amplitude (normalized on a scale of 0-1.0), and phase angle (scale 0-360°) between pairs of signals. Before these analyses, SND was digitally band-pass filtered without phase distortion to extract the 10-Hz or cardiac-related band of activity. The software for the digital filter (symmetrical, nonrecursive type with a Lanczos smoothing function) was obtained from RC Electronics (Santa Barbara, CA). The width of the band pass was 4 Hz, with the center frequency matched to that of the sharp peak in the autospectrum derived from the original recordings (low-pass filtered at 50 Hz). Power in the designated band pass was reduced by <= 10%, and the digital filter had a roll-off slope of 39%/Hz outside the band pass. The slow waves in SND extracted by digital filtering are smoother and more sinusoid-like than the originals (see Fig. 1 in Ref. 15), thus aiding in the accurate detection of peaks and troughs. Cycle-by-cycle measurements of phase angle were derived from the interval between the peaks of corresponding slow waves in two nerves (15). The resolution of measurement of the phase angle for slow waves with a period of 333 ms (heart rate, 3 Hz) was 5.4°/bin, and that for slow waves with a period of 100 ms (10-Hz rhythm) was 7.2°/bin. The sampling period (bin width) was 5 ms in the former case and 2 ms in the latter case.


    RESULTS
TOP
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
REFERENCES

Effects of caudal PAG stimulation on 10-Hz SND in baroreceptor-denervated cats. Figure 1 shows typical responses of the CN, VN, and RN produced by electrical activation of the caudal PAG in baroreceptor-denervated cats. Figure 1 shows the original records (low-pass filtered at 50 Hz) of SND from three different cats. PAG stimulation at frequencies equal to or higher than that of the free-running rhythm almost immediately increased the amplitudes of the 10-Hz slow waves in CN and RN discharges but decreased VN slow-wave amplitude. In Fig. 1A, the frequency of PAG stimulation was equal to that (8 Hz) of the free-running rhythm in SND. The vertical line running through the records of CN, VN, and RN discharges marks the first stimulus. Although only the first 4 s of PAG activation are shown, such responses were sustained throughout the 40-s period of stimulation (see Figs. 3 and 10 in Ref. 15). The example in Fig. 1B shows the effects produced by high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation. As was the case for stimulus frequencies equal to or slightly higher than that of the free-running rhythm, the 10-Hz discharges of the VN were decreased whereas the 10-Hz discharges of the other nerves were increased. High-frequency PAG stimulation did not change the frequency of the free-running rhythm, which was 9.6 Hz in the case shown in Fig. 1B. In contrast to the patterns elicited by PAG stimulation at frequencies equal to or higher than that of the free-running rhythm, frequencies of stimulation 0.5-2.0 Hz lower than that of the free-running rhythm increased the 10-Hz discharges of all three postganglionic nerves. In the example shown in Fig. 1C, the frequency of the free-running rhythm was 9.2 Hz and the PAG stimulus frequency was 8.2 Hz.


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Fig. 1.   Patterns of spinal sympathetic outflow elicited by electrical activation of caudal periaqueductal gray (PAG) in 3 (A-C) baroreceptor-denervated cats. Traces in A-C are original recordings (low-pass filtered at 50 Hz) of discharges of left inferior cardiac (CN), vertebral (VN), and renal (RN) postganglionic sympathetic nerves. A: PAG stimulation at 8.0 Hz was begun at vertical line; frequency of free-running (FR) rhythm (no stimulation) was 8.0 Hz. B: PAG stimulation at 25 Hz; FR rhythm was 9.6 Hz. C: PAG stimulation at 8.2 Hz; FR rhythm was 9.2 Hz. Vertical (100 µV) and horizontal (0.5 s) calibrations in A refer to B and C as well.

An in-depth time-domain analysis of the effects of high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation on the 10-Hz rhythm in SND is presented in Fig. 2. The time series in Fig. 2A show cycle-by-cycle measurements of the normalized amplitudes of the 10-Hz slow waves (extracted by digital filtering; see METHODS) in CN, VN, and RN discharges. High-frequency PAG stimulation (begun at the 1st vertical line) produced almost instantaneous increases in the amplitudes of the CN and RN slow waves and a decrease in VN slow-wave amplitude. These changes were sustained throughout the 40-s period of PAG stimulation (ended at the 2nd vertical line). The time series in Fig. 2B show corresponding cycle-by-cycle measurements of the phase angles relating the 10-Hz slow waves in the CN-VN, CN-RN, and VN-RN nerve pairs. High-frequency PAG stimulation increased the phase lag of VN 10-Hz activity relative to CN 10-Hz activity from primarily between 60 and 120° to between 120 and 240°. The phase lag of RN 10-Hz activity relative to CN activity was increased from primarily between 60 and 120° to between 120 and 180°. Because the control values of the VN-RN phase angle were close to 0°, the scale of phase angles in this time series (Fig. 2B, bottom) was set to 180° on either side of 0°. Values >0° are for cycles in which RN 10-Hz activity lagged VN 10-Hz activity, whereas values <0° are for cycles in which RN activity led VN activity. RN 10-Hz activity most often lagged VN 10-Hz activity in control but most often led VN activity during high-frequency PAG stimulation. The change from a lag to a lead is not surprising, because PAG stimulation increased the CN-VN phase angle (Fig. 2B, top) more than the CN-RN phase angle (Fig. 2B, middle).


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Fig. 2.   Differential pattern of spinal sympathetic outflow produced by high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation in a baroreceptor-denervated cat (same experiment as in Fig. 1B). A: time series showing cycle-by-cycle measurements (top to bottom) of amplitudes (Amp, peak to trough) of 10-Hz slow waves in CN, VN, and RN activities. Vertical lines mark start (left) and end (right) of PAG stimulation. Amplitudes of 10-Hz slow waves are normalized on a scale of 0-1.0 relative to largest slow wave in each time series. Slow waves were extracted from original recordings by digital band-pass filtering (see METHODS). B: time series showing cycle-by-cycle measurements of phase angles relating 10-Hz slow waves in CN-VN, CN-RN, and VN-RN pairs. Scale of degrees for VN-RN pair is different from scales for other nerve pairs (see text).

Figure 3 shows the results of in-depth frequency-domain analysis in an experiment in which the frequency of PAG stimulation (10 Hz) was slightly higher than that (9 Hz) of the free-running rhythm in SND. Figure 3A, traces 1 (top to bottom), show the control (no PAG stimulation) autospectra of CN, VN, and RN discharges calculated from an 80-s data block. These autospectra are superposed with those derived from a 40-s data block collected during PAG stimulation (Fig. 3A, traces 2). Note that 10-Hz band power was increased in the CN and RN but decreased in the VN during PAG stimulation. Also, peak power was moved to the frequency of PAG stimulation at the expense of power at the frequency of the free-running rhythm. Such shifts are interpreted as indicating that the 10-Hz rhythm in SND was entrained 1:1 to the PAG stimuli (15). As reported earlier (15), power in SND at frequencies <= 6 Hz was not significantly affected by PAG stimulation. The superposed coherence functions in Fig. 3B show that the strength of linear correlation of the 10-Hz discharges of the nerve pairs (CN-VN, CN-RN, and VN-RN) was not markedly affected during PAG stimulation. Peak coherence values in the 10-Hz band were >0.8 in all cases. A coherence value >= 0.1 reflects a statistically significant correlation when 32 data windows are averaged (5). Although there was little change in coherence values, PAG stimulation markedly affected the phase angles relating the 10-Hz discharges of the CN-VN and VN-RN pairs. As shown in Fig. 3C, top, the CN-VN phase angle at the frequency of peak coherence in the 10-Hz band was changed from -93° in control (trace 1) to +106° during PAG stimulation (trace 2). In trace 2 there is an abrupt shift in the phase angle to more negative values as the band of coherent 10-Hz activity is entered, and the downward shift continues after the crossover to positive values. We interpret the downward shift as indicating that the phase lag of VN 10-Hz activity relative to CN activity was increased during PAG stimulation from 93° to 254° (i.e., the difference between 360° and the reading of +106° in the phase spectrum at the frequency of peak coherence in the 10-Hz band).


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Fig. 3.   Frequency-domain analysis of effects of PAG stimulation (10.0 Hz) on discharges of left CN, VN, and RN in a baroreceptor-denervated cat. Frequency of free-running rhythm was 9.0 Hz. In A-C, control (trace 1) and test (during PAG stimulation; trace 2) spectra are superposed on the same scale. Spectra were calculated from original recordings (low-pass filtered at 50 Hz). A: autospectra (AS) of discharges of 3 sympathetic nerves. B: coherence functions (scale 0-1.0) relating discharges of CN-VN, CN-RN, and VN-RN pairs. C: phase spectra (scale ±180°) for CN-VN, CN-RN, and VN-RN nerve pairs. Each spectrum is average of 32 5-s windows with 50% (control) or 75% (test) overlap. Frequency resolution is 0.2 Hz/bin.

The shift in the VN-RN phase angle during PAG stimulation (Fig. 3C, bottom) occurred in the opposite direction. The phase angle in the 10-Hz band was changed from -31° in control (trace 1) to +100° during PAG stimulation (trace 2). The shift in phase angle (trace 2) is in the upward direction crossing 0° from negative to positive values. We interpret the upward shift as indicating that RN 10-Hz activity lagged VN activity by 31° in control and led VN activity by 100° during PAG stimulation. PAG stimulation had little effect on the CN-RN phase angle (10-Hz band) in this experiment (Fig. 3C, middle).

Tables 1 and 2 summarize the changes produced by PAG stimulation in 28 cases (21 baroreceptor-denervated cats) in which CN and RN 10-Hz activities were increased and VN 10-Hz activity was decreased. The frequency of PAG stimulation was equal to or just above that of the free-running rhythm in 19 cases and at 25 Hz in the other 9 cases. The increases in CN and RN 10-Hz band power and the decrease in VN 10-Hz band power produced by PAG stimulation were statistically significant (Table 1). The peak coherence values relating VN 10-Hz activity to CN and RN 10-Hz discharges were significantly reduced, albeit modestly, during PAG stimulation (Table 2). The coherence value relating the 10-Hz discharges of the CN and RN was not changed. PAG stimulation significantly increased the phase lags of VN and RN 10-Hz discharges relative to CN 10-Hz activity (Table 2). On the average, RN 10-Hz activity lagged VN 10-Hz activity in control but led VN activity during PAG stimulation. This change was also statistically significant and can be accounted for by the fact that the increase in the CN-VN phase angle was greater than that of the CN-RN phase angle. Corresponding changes in intervals (ms), derived from the phase angles, are included in Table 2.

                              
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Table 1.   Changes in 10-Hz discharges of CN, VN, and RN during PAG stimulation at frequencies equal to or above that of free-running rhythm


                              
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Table 2.   Changes in coherence values, phase angles, and corresponding intervals in 10-Hz band during PAG stimulation

PAG stimulation at frequencies equal to or slightly above that of the free-running 10-Hz rhythm significantly increased mean blood pressure from 99 ± 5 to 119 ± 7 mmHg. The change from 92 ± 7 to 123 ± 12 mmHg produced by high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation was also statistically significant.

Effects of caudal PAG stimulation on cardiac-related SND in baroreceptor-innervated cats. In place of the 10-Hz rhythm, SND contains a strong cardiac-related rhythm in baroreceptor-innervated cats anesthetized with urethan (2). That is, bursts of SND are locked in a 1:1 relationship to the cardiac cycle. Under this condition, we monitored the changes in left CN, VN, and RN discharges produced by PAG stimulation. Unlike the situation for the 10-Hz rhythm, high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation did not produce an immediate and sustained decrease in VN cardiac-related activity (16 episodes in 10 cats). Rather, during the first 15-20 s of stimulation, cardiac-related slow waves in the VN were essentially unchanged, or they were increased in amplitude along with those in the CN and RN. An example is shown in Fig. 4. High-frequency PAG stimulation was begun at the vertical line, and the responses of the CN, VN, and RN during the first 15 s of stimulation are shown. After a brief period of reduced activity in all three nerves, the cardiac-related rhythm again became predominant. The amplitudes of the cardiac-related slow waves in CN and VN discharges were not much changed from control at this time, whereas the amplitude of the slow waves in RN activity was dramatically increased. Mean blood pressure increased from 143 mmHg before stimulation to 171 mmHg at the end of the trace.


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Fig. 4.   Effect of high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation on blood pressure (BP) and cardiac-related discharges of left CN, VN, and RN in a baroreceptor-innervated cat. Traces of sympathetic nerve discharge are original recordings (low-pass filtered at 50 Hz). PAG stimulation was begun at vertical line. Mean blood pressure was increased from 143 mmHg before stimulation to 171 mmHg by end of trace. Vertical calibration, 125 µV for CN and VN and 200 µV for RN; horizontal calibration, 2 s.

Later during the period of high-frequency PAG stimulation, when mean blood pressure approached its peak value of 194 ± 10 mmHg (131 ± 7 mmHg in control), the amplitude of the cardiac-related bursts in the VN was reduced below control level in most (14 of 16) cases. An example of this pattern is shown in Fig. 5. The time series in Fig. 5A show cycle-by-cycle measurements of systolic blood pressure and the normalized amplitudes of the cardiac-related slow waves (extracted by digital filtering) in CN, VN, and RN discharges. The beginning and end of the 40-s period of high-frequency PAG stimulation are marked by the vertical lines. The amplitudes of the cardiac-related slow waves in the CN and RN increased during high-frequency PAG stimulation, although the increase in the RN began to fade noticeably as blood pressure approached its peak value. In contrast, VN cardiac-related slow-wave amplitude was little affected during the first 20 s of PAG stimulation. Later, VN cardiac-related slow-wave amplitude was reduced below control level as blood pressure continued to rise. The time series in Fig. 5B show the corresponding cycle-by-cycle measurements of the phase angles between the cardiac-related slow waves for the CN-VN, CN-RN, and VN-RN nerve pairs. High-frequency PAG stimulation in this case was accompanied by small shifts (<30°) in the midpoint of the bands of phase angles. Unlike the changes in slow-wave amplitude, the shifts in phase angle were essentially stationary throughout the period of PAG activation. Thus the changes in phase angle and slow-wave amplitude apparently were unrelated.


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Fig. 5.   Differential pattern of spinal sympathetic outflow produced by high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation in a baroreceptor-innervated cat. A: time series showing cycle-by-cycle measurements (top to bottom) of systolic blood pressure (Sys BP) and normalized amplitudes of cardiac-related slow waves in CN, VN, and RN activities. Vertical lines mark start (left) and end (right) of PAG stimulation. Cardiac-related slow waves were extracted from original recordings by digital band-pass filtering. B: time series showing cycle-by-cycle measurements of phase angles relating cardiac-related slow waves of nerve pairs. Time series of systolic blood pressure (top) is the same as in A.

We did not observe the delayed reduction in the amplitude of the cardiac-related slow waves of the VN in the other two cases of high-frequency PAG stimulation. One of these two cases is illustrated in Fig. 6. The changes in amplitudes of the cardiac-related slow waves in CN and RN activities produced by high-frequency PAG stimulation were similar to those in Fig. 5. However, in contrast to the case in Fig. 5, there was a sustained increase in VN cardiac-related slow-wave amplitude throughout the 40-s period of PAG stimulation. Although phase locking was tighter for the CN-RN and VN-RN pairs during high-frequency PAG stimulation, the time series in Fig. 6B show no major shifts in the midpoint of the bands of phases angles for the three nerve pairs.


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Fig. 6.   Changes in cardiac-related nerve activities elicited by high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation in another baroreceptor-innervated cat. Format and sequence of traces are described in Fig. 5 legend.

Figure 7 shows the autospectra of the AP and sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) for the time series in Fig. 5. There are two reasons for presenting these data in the frequency domain. First, the autospectra of SND were calculated from the original recordings (low-pass filtered at 50 Hz) rather than from the digitally filtered records used for time-series analysis. Second, changes in cardiac-related SND induced by PAG stimulation are most easily followed by focusing on the primary peak in each of the autospectra, which was at the frequency of the heartbeat. Because the changes in cardiac-related SND during high-frequency PAG stimulation were not stationary, we do not present frequency spectra as averages of multiple 5-s data windows. Rather, autospectra for consecutive 5-s data windows are displayed in an array (i.e., waterfall). Starting from the bottom of each array in Fig. 7, the first four spectra are for the control period. The sharp peak in the autospectra near 3 Hz is at the frequency of the heartbeat. Power at the second harmonic of the heart rate accounts for the smaller peak in the autospectra of the AP. The next eight autospectra in each series are for the 40-s period of high-frequency PAG stimulation. As blood pressure increased (as reflected by enhanced power in the primary peak of the AP autospectra), VN cardiac-related power decreased below control level. In contrast, cardiac-related power in CN and RN discharges remained above control. Cessation of PAG stimulation led to an abrupt inhibition of the activity of all three nerves during the time that blood pressure remained elevated (top 4 autospectra).


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Fig. 7.   Autospectral arrays (left to right) of arterial pulse (AP) and discharges of left CN, VN, and RN in a baroreceptor-innervated cat (same as in Fig. 5). Autospectra were calculated from consecutive 5-s data segments of original recordings (low-pass filtered at 50 Hz). First autospectrum in each series is at bottom of waterfall. Arrows, onset and offset of high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation. Power is scaled linearly with respect to largest peak in each series.

PAG stimulation at frequencies equal to or near that of the heartbeat elicited excitatory responses in the three postganglionic nerves but did not significantly change mean blood pressure from a control level of 130 ± 10 mmHg (3 cats). The sympathetic nerve responses (locked 1:1 to the stimuli) were essentially added to ongoing cardiac-related activity. Representative results from one of these experiments are shown in Fig. 8. Because the responses to low-frequency PAG stimulation were reasonably constant from trial to trial, the autospectra of SND in Fig. 8 are presented as averages of 32 5-s windows calculated from 40-s data segments. The control autospectra (traces 1) are superposed with those (traces 2) for the data collected during low-frequency PAG stimulation. In contrast to the entrainment of the 10-Hz rhythm in SND in a 1:1 relation to frequencies of PAG stimulation between 7 and 12 Hz (15), the cardiac-related rhythm was not entrained to PAG stimulus frequencies just below (Fig. 8A) or above (Fig. 8C) that of the heartbeat. Instead, two major peaks appeared in the test autospectra of SND: one at the frequency of the control cardiac-related rhythm and the other at the frequency of PAG stimulation. The addition of the peak at the frequency of PAG stimulation occurred without a significant change in power at the frequency of the heartbeat in this series of experiments. Also, the phase angles between the cardiac-related discharges of the CN-VN, CN-RN, and VN-RN pairs were unchanged when the stimulus frequency was different from that of the heartbeat. PAG activation at a frequency equal to that of the heartbeat increased the power (relative to control) at that frequency more so for the CN and RN than VN (Fig. 8B). The stimulus-triggered averages of SND (Fig. 8B, insets) attest to the differential excitatory effects of low-frequency PAG stimulation. The stimulus-locked excitatory responses (upward negative deflections) of the CN and RN were larger than the response for the VN. Also, the peaks at the frequency of PAG stimulation in Fig. 8, A and C, are larger for the CN and RN than VN. In the case shown in Fig. 8B, the phase lag of VN activity relative to CN activity at the frequency of the heartbeat was decreased from 40° in control to 12° during PAG stimulation. This change presumably reflects averaging of two sets of phase angles, one for the out-of-phase naturally occurring cardiac-related discharges of the two nerves and the other for their in-phase stimulus-locked responses at the same frequency. The insets in Fig. 8B show that the onset latencies of the stimulus-evoked responses of the CN and VN were the same (90 ms). The CN-RN and VN-RN phase angles at the frequency of the heartbeat were changed by <= 9° in the case shown in Fig. 8B.


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Fig. 8.   Frequency-domain analysis of effects of low-frequency PAG stimulation on cardiac-related discharges of left CN, VN, and RN in a baroreceptor-innervated cat. Control (trace 1) and test (during PAG stimulation; trace 2) autospectra (AS) of discharges of CN, VN, and RN are superposed in A-C. Autospectra were calculated from original recordings (low-pass filtered at 50 Hz). , Frequency of PAG stimulation. A: PAG stimulation at 2.8 Hz; free-running cardiac-related rhythm was 3.8 Hz. B: PAG stimulation at 4.0 Hz; free-running cardiac-related rhythm was 4.0 Hz. C: PAG stimulation at 4.8 Hz; free-running cardiac-related rhythm was 3.6 Hz. Each spectrum is average of 32 5-s windows with 75% overlap. Frequency resolution is 0.2 Hz/bin. Insets: PAG stimulus-triggered averages (200 sweeps) of CN, VN, and RN responses. Negative potentials (upward deflection) denote stimulus-locked excitatory responses. Stimulus was applied at beginning of trace. Vertical calibration is 100 µV and refers to all insets. Horizontal calibration is 100 ms.


    DISCUSSION
TOP
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
REFERENCES

In an earlier report (15) we argued that the reciprocal changes in CN and VN 10-Hz discharges produced by electrical stimulation of the defense region of the PAG do not arise simply from the activation of point-to-point hard-wired connections that excite some brain stem and/or spinal cell groups and inhibit others. Rather, we proposed that this pattern arises as the consequence of reorganization of the coupling of multiple 10-Hz brain stem oscillators, each with a different peripheral target. Changes in the phase angle between the 10-Hz discharges of the CN and VN were presumed to reflect the reorganization. The results of the present study provide new evidence in support of this proposal and, in addition, provide a more complete picture of the differential patterns of spinal sympathetic outflow produced by caudal PAG stimulation.

Although the 10-Hz and cardiac-related rhythms in SND are generated independently by different pools of brain stem neurons (1, 4), they are carried to sympathetic nerves by the same bulbospinal neurons (2). On this basis, we reasoned that the changes in the cardiac-related discharges of the CN, VN, and RN of baroreceptor-innervated cats would be similar to those of their 10-Hz discharges in baroreceptor-denervated cats if PAG activation simply exerts opposing actions on populations of bulbospinal and/or spinal neurons with different targets. Contrary to this prediction, the patterns of spinal sympathetic outflow induced by PAG stimulation in baroreceptor-innervated cats were markedly different from those in baroreceptor-denervated cats. As illustrated in Figs. 1B and 2, the increases in CN and RN 10-Hz discharges and decrease in VN 10-Hz activity produced by high-frequency (25-Hz) PAG stimulation in baroreceptor-denervated cats were immediate in onset and sustained throughout the period of activation. Moreover, high-frequency PAG stimulation significantly changed the phase relations between the 10-Hz discharges of the CN-VN, CN-RN, and VN-RN pairs (Fig. 2, Table 2). In contrast, VN cardiac-related activity was unchanged or increased during the first 15-20 s of high-frequency PAG stimulation in baroreceptor-innervated cats (Figs. 4-6). Later during the 40-s period of PAG stimulation, as blood pressure continued to rise, VN cardiac-related activity was decreased below control level in most cases (Figs. 5 and 7). At this time, the increase in CN cardiac-related activity was largely maintained, whereas that in the RN was blunted but not completely reversed. Also, in contrast to the patterns involving the 10-Hz rhythm, high-frequency PAG stimulation had little effect on the phase relations between the cardiac-related discharges of the three nerve pairs. Because the increases in cardiac-related activity during the first 20 s of PAG stimulation were greater in the CN and RN than VN, it appears that high-frequency PAG stimulation initially exerted differential excitatory effects on the circuits responsible for this component of the discharges of the three postganglionic nerves. Subsequently, these changes apparently were buffered to different degrees by increased baroreceptor afferent nerve activity attendant to the rise in blood pressure. We conclude that the mechanisms responsible for the differential patterns of spinal sympathetic outflow involving the cardiac-related rhythm are distinct from those responsible for the differential patterns involving the 10-Hz rhythm.

As was the case for high-frequency PAG stimulation, the patterns produced by low-frequency stimulation were dependent on the preexisting rhythm in SND. First, whereas the 10-Hz rhythm was entrained to frequencies of PAG stimulation near that of the free-running rhythm (Fig. 3), entrainment of the cardiac-related rhythm to frequencies of PAG stimulation just below or above that of the heartbeat could not be demonstrated (Fig. 8). Second, the decrease in VN 10-Hz activity was changed to an increase when the frequency of PAG stimulation was reduced to just below that of the free-running rhythm (Fig. 1C). In contrast, PAG stimulation at frequencies just below, equal to, or just above that of the free-running cardiac-related rhythm elicited excitatory responses in the VN as well as CN and RN that were simply added to ongoing cardiac-related activity (Fig. 8). These observations further support the view that the changes in cardiac-related and 10-Hz SND induced by PAG stimulation cannot be attributed to a common mechanism. Regarding the mechanism responsible for the patterns elicited in baroreceptor-denervated cats, we (15) proposed that changes in the frequency of PAG stimulation lead a system of coupled 10-Hz oscillators through a repertoire of internally self-organized states, each of which is characterized by a different set of phase relations and, thus, a different pattern of spinal sympathetic outflow.

In an earlier report (15) we suggested that the reciprocal changes in CN and VN 10-Hz discharges produced by PAG stimulation represent an electrophysiological correlate of the defense reaction. Regarding this point, chemical or electrical activation of the defense regions of the PAG or hypothalamus increases heart rate and blood flow to skeletal muscle of the limbs (7, 11, 13, 17). Importantly, in cats, full expression of the increase in limb blood flow requires not only the activation of sympathetic cholinergic vasodilator fibers but also the selective inhibition of vasoconstrictor outflow to skeletal muscle (10). The cardiovascular component of the defense reaction also includes a decrease in renal blood flow due to increased sympathetic vasoconstrictor outflow to that organ (17). Thus the increase in RN 10-Hz activity observed in the present study lends further support to the idea that the differential pattern of changes in 10-Hz SND elicited by frequencies of PAG stimulation equal to or above that of the free-running rhythm was defenselike in character.

The fact remains that the pattern of changes in the cardiac-related discharges of the CN, VN, and RN produced by high-frequency PAG stimulation in baroreceptor-innervated cats also was defenselike. Although delayed in onset, the change in VN cardiac-related activity occurred in a direction (decrease) opposite that of the changes in CN and RN cardiac-related activities. Whether the changes in cardiac function and regional blood flows that accompany the naturally occurring defense reaction in behaving animals are based on the mechanisms proposed here to explain the differential changes in cardiac-related and 10-Hz SND deserves further attention. It would be particularly interesting to compare the changes in skeletal muscle blood flow that accompany decreases versus increases in VN 10-Hz activity produced by different frequencies of PAG stimulation.

Perspectives

Although it is well established that the brain can formulate differential patterns of spinal sympathetic outflow leading to cardiovascular responses that support such behavioral states as the defense reaction, the underlying mechanisms for these patterns remain under active investigation. Most models that try to explain reciprocal changes in sympathetic outflows to different peripheral targets presuppose coordination of the activity of different cell groups by shared inputs from central "command" centers and/or peripheral afferent nerves. The implication drawn from these models is that the shared inputs excite some cell groups and inhibit others. As pointed out by Gebber et al. (15), models of this type need not include the direct interconnection of cell groups with different targets. One such model combining differential excitation from the PAG and differential inhibition of baroreceptor reflex origin could explain the reciprocal changes in VN and CN (or RN) cardiac-related discharges observed in the present study. However, the reciprocal changes of the 10-Hz discharges of the same nerves produced by PAG stimulation in baroreceptor-denervated cats appear to be dependent on an entirely different mechanism, i.e., abrupt changes in the state of coupling of multiple nonlinear brain stem oscillators, as reflected by alterations in the phase angles between the 10-Hz discharges of the postganglionic nerves that they target. Models based on the principles of nonlinear dynamics and self-organization within large-scale neural networks have been proposed to explain how the pattern of locomotion might be changed from one characterized by in-phase movements of the limbs to another characterized by out-of-phase movements (16, 19). To our knowledge, however, the present study and an earlier report from our laboratory (15) are the first to apply such principles to central autonomic networks.


    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors thank Shannon Sykes for typing the manuscript.


    FOOTNOTES

This study was supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Grant HL-13187.

The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. The article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 U.S.C. §1734 solely to indicate this fact.

Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: G. L. Gebber, Dept. of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1317 (E-mail: gebber{at}msu.edu).

Received 15 September 1999; accepted in final form 21 December 1999.


    REFERENCES
TOP
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION
METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
REFERENCES

1.   Barman, SM, and Gebber GL. Lateral tegmental field neurons play a permissive role in governing the 10-Hz rhythm in sympathetic nerve discharge. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol 265: R1006-R1013, 1993[Abstract/Free Full Text].

2.   Barman, SM, and Gebber GL. Subgroups of rostral ventrolateral medullary and caudal medullary raphe neurons based on patterns of relationships to sympathetic nerve discharge and axonal projections. J Neurophysiol 77: 65-75, 1997[Abstract/Free Full Text].

3.   Barman, SM, Gebber GL, and Zhong S. The 10-Hz rhythm in sympathetic nerve discharge. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol 262: R1006-R1014, 1992[Abstract/Free Full Text].

4.   Barman, SM, Orer HS, and Gebber GL. Caudal ventrolateral medullary neurons are elements of the network responsible for the 10-Hz rhythm in sympathetic nerve discharge. J Neurophysiol 72: 106-120, 1994[Abstract/Free Full Text].

5.   Benignus, VA. Correction to "Estimation of the coherence spectrum and its confidence interval using fast Fourier transform." IEEE Trans Audio Electroacoustics Au-18: 320, 1970.

6.   Carrive, P. Functional organization of PAG neurons controlling regional vascular beds. In: The Midbrain PAG, edited by Depaulis A, and Bandler R.. New York: Plenum, 1991, p. 67-100.

7.   Carrive, P. The periaqueductal gray and defensive behavior: functional representation and neuronal organization. Behav Brain Res 58: 27-47, 1993[ISI][Medline].

8.   Cohen, MI, and Gootman PM. Periodicities in efferent discharges of splanchnic nerve of the cat. Am J Physiol 218: 1092-1101, 1970.

9.   Cohen, MI, See WR, Christakos CN, and Sica AL. High-frequency and medium-frequency components of different inspiratory nerve discharges and their modification by various inputs. Brain Res 417: 148-152, 1987[ISI][Medline].

10.   Coote, JH, Hilton SM, and Zbrozyna AW. The ponto-medullary area integrating the defense reaction in the cat and its influence on muscle blood flow. J Physiol (Lond) 228: 257-274, 1973.

11.   Dampney, RAL Functional organization of central pathways regulating the cardiovascular system. Physiol Rev 74: 323-364, 1994[Free Full Text].

12.   Flecknell, PA. Laboratory Animal Anaesthesia: An Introduction for Research Workers and Technicians. London: Academic, 1987.

13.   Folkow, B, Öberg B, and Rubenstein EH. A proposed differentiated neuro-effector organization in muscle resistance vessels. Angiologica 1: 197-208, 1964.

14.   Gebber, GL, Zhong S, Barman SM, Paitel Y, and Orer HS. Differential relationships among the 10-Hz rhythmic discharges of sympathetic nerves with different targets. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol 267: R387-R399, 1994[Abstract/Free Full Text].

15.   Gebber, GL, Zhong S, Lewis C, and Barman SM. Differential patterns of spinal sympathetic outflow involving a 10-Hz rhythm. J Neurophysiol 82: 841-854, 1999[Abstract/Free Full Text].

16.   Haken, H. Principles of Brain Functioning. A Synergetic Approach to Brain Activity, Behavior and Cognition. Berlin: Springer, 1996.

17.   Hilton, SM. The defence-arousal system and its relevance for circulatory and respiratory control. J Exp Biol 100: 159-174, 1982[Abstract/Free Full Text].

18.   Huang, Z-S, Gebber GL, Zhong S, and Barman SM. Forced oscillations in sympathetic nerve discharge. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol 263: R564-R571, 1992[Abstract/Free Full Text].

19.   Kelso, JAS Dynamic Patterns. The Self-Organization of Brain and Behavior. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1995.

20.   Kocsis, B, Gebber GL, Barman SM, and Kenney MJ. Relationships between activity of sympathetic nerve pairs: phase and coherence. Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol 259: R549-R560, 1990[Abstract/Free Full Text].

21.   Snider, RS, and Niemer WT. A Stereotaxic Atlas of the Cat Brain. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1961.


Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 278(6):R1616-R1626
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