Modulation of arterial baroreflex control of heart rate by skin cooling and heating in humans

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of skin cooling and heating on the heart rate (HR) control by the arterial baroreflex in humans. The subjects were 15 healthy men who underwent whole body thermal stress (esophageal temperatures, ∼36.8 and ∼37.0°C; mean skin temperatures, ∼26.4 and ∼37.7°C, in skin cooling and heating, respectively) produced by a cool or hot water-perfused suit during supine rest. The overall arterial baroreflex sensitivity in the HR control was calculated from spontaneous changes in beat-to-beat arterial pressure and HR during normothermic control and thermal stress periods. The carotid baroreflex sensitivity was evaluated from the maximum slope of the HR response to changes in carotid distending pressure, calculated as mean arterial pressure minus neck pressure. The overall arterial baroreflex sensitivity at existing arterial pressure increased during cooling (−1.32 ± 0.25 vs. −2.13 ± 0.20 beats ⋅ min− 1 ⋅ mmHg− 1 in the control and cooling periods, respectively, P < 0.05), whereas it did not change significantly during heating (−1.39 ± 0.23 vs. −1.40 ± 0.15 beats ⋅ min− 1 ⋅ mmHg− 1in the control and heating periods, respectively). Neither the cool nor heat loadings altered the carotid baroreflex sensitivity in the HR control. These results suggest that the sensitivity of HR control by the extracarotid (presumably aortic) baroreflex was augumented by whole body skin cooling, whereas the sensitivities of HR control by arterial baroreflex remain unchanged during mild whole body heating in humans.