PHYSIOLOGY - Cardiac Output Flashcards
Cardiac output definition
Volume of blood pumped per minute by each ventricle
Cardiac output equation
HR x SV = cardiac output
Normal cardiac output value
5 - 5.5 litre/min
How can heart rate and stroke volume be regulated ?
Autonomic nervous system
How does the ANS know when to stimulate the heart ?
- Sensory information relayed to hypothalamus
- Hypothalamus integrates this information and regulates the activity of the cardiac control centres
- Cardiac control centres alter HR, contractility and arterial pressure via ANS
Where are the cardiovascular control centres located?
Reticular regions of the Medulla oblongata and the pons
What is the parasympathetic nerve which stimulates the heart?
Vagus nerve / CN X
What do post-ganglionic sympathetic nerves innervate in the heart?
SA node
AV node
Contractile atrial and ventricular tissue
What do the postganglionic parasympathetic nerves innervate?
SA node
AV node
SOME contractile tissue in atria and ventricle
Does the parasympathetic or the sympathetic NS have more control over the atrial and ventricular contractile fibres?
Sympathetic
Is the ANS needed for generation of APs in slow response cardiac cells?
No
What neurotransmitter do sympathetic nerves release to the heart?
Noradrenaline
What neurotransmitter to parasympathetic nerves release to the heart?
ACh
What would happen to heart rate if you inhibited the sympathetic nerves?
It would decrease to about 30% below normal - at rest, sympathetic nerves discharge at a slow rate that maintains HR at 60-70 BPM
What would happen to heart rate with strong sympathetic stimulation?
HR would increase to about 180-200 BPM (In young adult humans)
What happens if you increase vagal activity?
HR will reduce
What would happen if you intensely stimulated the vagus nerve (e.g in an experiment)
- The heartbeat would stop for a few seconds
- The heart would usually restart and beat at about 20-40 BPM. This is vagal escape
Explain vagal escape.
- if HR = 0, cardiac output = 0
- reduction in CO triggers reflex stimulation of sympathetic nerves caused by baroreceptor reflex
-simultaneous sympathetic and vagal activity results in a HR of 20-40 BPM
What is physiologically more important, symp or parasymp stimulation?
Why?
Parasympathetic.
Because it exerts a more immediate response.
How does the sympathetic nervous system increase heart rate? Generally
It causes increased ion flow through HCN channels. This increases the rate of autorythmic depolarisation and hence the HR
What are the proper names for the HCN channals?
if Na+ channels
iCa Ca2+ channels
What does noradrenaline released from sympathetic nerves bind to on the heart?
B1 adrenergic receptors on pacemaker cells
What happens when norepinephrine binds to pacemaker cells?
- cAMP levels rise
- cAMP binds to if Na+ channels
-PKA activity increases
- PKA phosphorylates if Ca++ channels
- HCN channels are more open
- Spontatneous depolarisation rate in SA node increased
- transmission of impulse through AV node also increased due to increased permeability of ion channels
Describe the adenyl-cyclise/cAMP intracellular signalling pathway.
- Noradrenaline binds to B1 adrenergic receptor
- Adenyl cyclase is stimulates
- Adenyl cyclase converts ATP to cAMP
- cAMP converts inactive PKA to active PKA
- PKA phosphorylates a protein which causes a cell response
How does the vagus nerve decrease HR? In terms of ion movement t
- Releases ACh
- ACh binds directly to and activates ACh gated K+ channels
- ACh binds to M2 muscarinic receptors which inhibits cAMP production.
- Opening of HCN channels is decreased
- Hyperpolarisation happens in AV node as well, resulting in slowed transmission of impulse to ventricles
Why does increased K+ cause Hr to decrease?
The membrane potential becomes more negative, so more + ions are needed to depolarise the cells
Also because HCN channels are more closed than normal during vagal stimulation, rate of + ions influx is slower
What does the membrane potential decrease by during vagal stimulation
Becomes 65 to -75 mV instead of - 55 to -60 mV
Does the parasympathetic NS extend or shorten duration of diastole and ventricular filling?
Extend
Does the sympathetic NS extend or shorten duration of diastole and ventricular filling?
Shorten