Cardiovascular Autonomic Pharmacology (B2: W3) Flashcards
What is the efect of cAMP on smooth muscle contraction?
Inhibition of contraction
Where are alpha 1 receptors located and what is their mechanism of action?
- Smooth muscle: blood vessels, eye, gut, bladder sphincter
- Formation of IP3 and DAG (PKC)
- Contraction

Where are alpha 2 receptors located and what is their mechanism of action?
- Presynaptic nerve terminals, some vascular smooth muscle
- Inhibition of neuronal Ca channels, inhibition of adenylyl cyclase
- Constriction

Where are ß1 receptors located and what is their mechanism of action?
- Cardiac myocytes, juxtaglomerular cells
- Stimulation of adenylyl cyclase, increased cAMP
- Response:
- Heart: increasing rate (SA), conduction velocity (AV), contractility rate of relaxation
- Kidney: increase renin secretion

Where are ß2 receptors located and what is their mechanism of action?
- Smooth muscle (airways, blood vessels), ciliary body epithelium, cardiac muscle
- Stimulation of adenylyl cyclase, increased cAMP
- Response:
- Heart: increase heart rate and contractility
- Smooth muscle: relaxation

What are the autonomic effects on the SA node?
- Sympathetic activation of ß1 receptors has a positive chronotropic effect (increases HR)
- Parasympathetic activation of M2 muscarinic receptors has a negative chronotropic effect (decreases HR)
What are the autonomic effects on the AV node?
- Sympathetic activation of ß1 receptors has positive dromotropic effect (increases conduction velocity)
- Parasympathetic activation of M2 receptors has a negative dromotropic effect (decreases HR)
What are the autonomic effects on the ventricular muscle?
- Sympathetic activation of ß1 receptors has a positive inotropic effect (increases contractility)
- Parasympathetic activation of M2 receptors antagonizes sympathetic responses
- In the absence of sympathetic tone, parasympathetic activation has little or no effect on the ventricles
What effect does sympathetic ANS stimulation have on blood vessels
- Alpha 1 receptors cause vascular smooth muscle contraction and constriction of the blood vessels
- ß2 receptors cause relaxation of vascular smooth muscle and dilation of blood vessels
What effect does parasympathetic ANS activation have on blood vessels?
- Parasympathetic activation has little or no effect on most blood vessels
- Exceptions: blood vessels of the face, tongue, genitals, and urinary tract, where parasympathetic stimulation causes vasodilation
What is the receptor sensitivity to Norepinephrine?
ß1 = a1 ≥ a2 > ß2
What is the cardiovascular response to Norepinephrine?
- Increase in diastolic, systolic, and mean arterial pressure
- Decrease in heart rate

Why does heart rate decrease with norepinephrine?
- a1 receptor activitiy causes increase in mean arterial pressur (MAP)
- Baroreceptors sense this reflex, and try to bring it back with an increase in parasympatheti tone
- Decrease HR
- Fast response

What is the receptor selectivity to epinephrine?
ß1 = ß2 > a1 = a2
What is the cardiovascular response to epinephrine?
- Increased heart rate
- Increased systolic BP, decreased diastolic, MAP stays the same
- Decreased peripheral resistance

Why does peripheral resistance decrease in response to epinephrine?
- At low doses, ß2 receptors cause vasodilation
- Decreased diastolic BP
- Similar response to isoproterenol
- At higher doeses, the a1 vasoconstriction can be seen

What is the receptor selectivity of isoproterenol?
ß1 = ß2
What is the cardiovascular response to isoproterenol?
- Increased heart rate
- Increased systolic, decreased diastolic, slight decrease in MAP
- ß2 - peripheral vasodilation
- Large decrease in peripheral resistance

Why is there a larger decrease in peripheral resistance with isoproterenol than epinephrine?
Epinephrine still has some a1 selectivity, as where isoproterenol has none
- Epineprhine has some vasoconstriction
- Isoproterenol has very little

What happens to the cardiovascular response to epinephrine at higher doses?
- Higher diastolic pressure and MAP
- More a1 receptors are activated
- Increase in TPR
- Heart rate increased
- ß1

Why does HR still increase at higher doses of epinephrine, but not with norepinephrine?
In epinephrine, the ß1 response is stronger than a1
In norepinephrine, the responses are equal, and thus the baroreceptors still modulate to keep the BP down

What is the receptor selectivity of dobutamine?
ß1 > ß2 > a1
What is the receptor selectivity of dopamine?
D1 > ß1 = ß2 > a1
What is the receptor selectivity of phenylephrine?
a1 > a2
What is the receptor selectivity of clonidine?
a2 > a1
What is pulse pressure?
Difference between systolic and diastolic pressures
What are the dose dependent effects of dopamine?
- Low doses: activate D1 receptors, increasing renal blood flow
- Intermediate doses: activate ß recetpors, increasing cardiac output
- High doses: activate alpha receptors, increasing TPR and MAP
What is the first line of treatment for hypovolemic shock?
Volume replacement
What is the first line of treatment in vasodilatory shock (sepsis, anaphylaxis), where cardiac output is reduced?
Use a vasoconstrictor - norepinephrine
Epinephrine to increase HR

What is the first line of treatment in cardiogenic shock (heart failure), where there is decreased cardiac output with increased venous pressure?
Use a ß compount to increas HR and function
Isoproterenol, dobutamine, dopamine

What is the effect of clonadine?
- a2 > a1
- Activates presynaptic a2 receptors, inhibiting sympathetic neruotransmitter release
- Decreases sympathetic (arterial) tone

What is tyramine and what is its mechanism of action?
- Indirect sympathomimetic found in food (cheese, meats, beer)
- Taken up into postganglionic sympathetic nerve terminals by the norepinephrine transporter (NET)
- Metabolized by MAO (monoamine oxidase)
What happens to tyramine in patients taking an MAO inhibitor?
Unmetabolized tyramine can displace endogenous neurotransmitters, causing spontaneous release resulting in a hypertensive crisis
What are sympatholytics?
Selective blockers of sympathetic effects
What is phentolamine and what is it used for therapeutically?
- Sympatholytic: a1 = a2 antagonist
- Used to treat hypertension and pheochromocytoma
What is prazosin and what is it used for therapeutically?
- Sympatholytic: a1 >> a2 antagonist
- Used to treat hypertension
What is propranolol and what is it used for therapeutically?
- Sympatholytic: **ß1 = ß2 **antagonist
- Used to treat angina, cardiac arrhythmias, hypertension
What is metropolol and what is it used for therapeutically?
- Sympatholytic: ß1 > ß2 antagonist
- Used to treat heart failure, angina, hypertension
What is carvedilol and what is it used for therapeutically?
- Sympatholytic: a1 > ß1 > ß2 antagonist
- Used to treat heart failure, hypertension
What is the effect of a beta blockade on epinephrine?
Enhances alpha adrenergic response to high dose epinephrine
Large difference in diastolic pressure
How do ß1 antagonists reduce blood pressure?
Inhibit renin secretion from the kidneys
or
Decrease HR ans stroke volme
(MAP = HR x SV x TPR)
What receptor does bethanechol act upon?
Muscarinic
What receptors are activated by acetylcholine?
NM = NN = M1-5
Equally selective
What does digoxin (a cholinomimetic) do?
- Can act centrally to increase parasympathetic tone to the heart
- Goes to CNS first
- Slows conduction through the AV node
What is atropine and what is it used for therapeutically?
- Cholinolytic: M1-5 >> NN = NM antagonist
- Blocks parasympathetic function
- Used to treat bradycardia and heart block