Hyperventilation alters arterial baroreflex control of heart rate and muscle sympathetic nerve activity

Interactions between mechanisms governing ventilation and blood pressure (BP) are not well understood. We studied in 11 resting normal subjects the effects of sustained isocapnic hyperventilation on arterial baroreceptor sensitivity, determined as the α index between oscillations in systolic BP (SBP) generated by respiration and oscillations present in R-R intervals (RR) and in peripheral sympathetic nerve traffic [muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA)]. Tidal volume increased from 478 ± 24 to 1,499 ± 84 ml and raised SBP from 118 ± 2 to 125 ± 3 mmHg, whereas RR decreased from 947 ± 18 to 855 ± 11 ms (all P < 0.0001); MSNA did not change. Hyperventilation reduced arterial baroreflex sensitivity to oscillations in SBP at both cardiac (from 13 ± 1 to 9 ± 1 ms/mmHg, P < 0.001) and MSNA levels (by -37 ± 5%, P < 0.0001). Thus increased BP during hyperventilation does not elicit any reduction in either heart rate or MSNA. Baroreflex modulation of RR and MSNA in response to hyperventilation-induced BP oscillations is attenuated. Blunted baroreflex gain during hyperventilation may be a mechanism that facilitates simultaneous increases in BP, heart rate, and sympathetic activity during dynamic exercise and chemoreceptor activation.