BARORECEPTOR FEEDBACK
MECHANISMS
PHS 412: ADVANCED CARDIOVASCULAR
PHYSIOLOGY
Presented by: GROUP 4
DEPARTMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY
SCHOOL OF BASIC MEDICAL SCIENCES
COLLEGE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES
UNIVERSITY OF BENIN.
8th MAY, 2023.
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BAROREFLEX
(BARORECEPTOR REFLEX)
• Baroreflex is one of the mechanisms the body
uses to maintain steady blood pressure levels
or homeostasis.
• It is a rapid negative feedback loop in which an
increase in blood pressure causes a decrease
in Heart rate, hence causing the blood
pressure to decrease and vice versa.
• This reflex starts with specialized neurons
called BARORECEPTORS.
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INTRODUCTION
• Baroreceptors are a type of mechanoreceptors
allowing for relaying information derived from blood
pressure within the autonomic nervous system.
• There are two types of baroreceptors:
i. High-pressure arterial baroreceptors which
are located within the carotid sinuses and the
aortic arch.
ii. Low-pressure volume receptors, or
cardiopulmonary receptors which are located
within the atria, ventricles, and pulmonary
vasculature.
They are both stimulated by stretching of the vessel
wall (Al-Khazraji and Shoemaker, 2018). 3
INTRODUCTION Cont’d
• The two major nerves that transmit signals from
the baroreceptors to the brain are the
glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) and the vagus
nerve (CN X).
• The glossopharyngeal nerve carries signals from
the baroreceptors in the carotid sinus while,
• the vagus nerve carries signals from the
baroreceptors in the aortic arch (Guyton and Hall
2011).
• The nerve fibers of the glossopharyngeal and
vagus nerves synapse on second-order neurons is
the Nucleus Tractus Solitarius (NTS) in the
medulla oblongata (Boron and Boulpaep, 2017).
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AIM
• The aim of this presentation is the know the
feedback mechanisms of baroreceptors.
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FEEDBACK MECHANISM OF
BARORECEPTORS ( IN BP)
• When blood pressure increases, it stretches the
wall of the aorta and carotid artery causing
baroreceptors to be activated and fire action
potentials at a higher than normal rate.
• These increased activities are sent via CN IX and
CN X to the NTS leading to inhibition of the
sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and stimulation
of the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS).
• This results in decreased heart rate (PSNS) and
vasodilation (SNS), leading to a decrease in blood
pressure.
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( IN BP) Cont’d
• Inhibiton of sympathetic activity reduces the
heart rate, and slows down the force and rate
of contraction of the myocardium, causing
vasodilation (widening of blood vessels), which
reduces resistance to blood flow (Barrett et al.,
2014).
• While stimulation of the PSNS decreases HR
by releasing Acetylcholine which acts on the
pacemaker cells of the SA Node.
• The medulla oblongata responds to these
baroreceptor signals and reduces the blood
pressure bringing it back to normal (McKinley &
O'Loughlin, 2019).
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FEEDBACK MECHANISM OF
BARORECEPTORS ( IN BP)
• Conversely, when blood pressure decreases,
baroreceptors are less active, firing action
potentials at a lower than normal rate.
• Information again is transmitted to the NTS leading
to stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system
and inhibition of the parasympathetic nervous
system.
• SNS stimulation by the baroreceptor signals leads
to the release of norepinephrine from sympathetic
nerve endings which causes an increase in Heart
Rate and the smooth muscle cells of blood vessels
to cause Vasoconstriction.
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( IN BP) Cont’d
• These responses are designed to increase
peripheral resistance and maintain blood
pressure in the face of decreased perfusion
pressure.
• Vasoconstriction, increased heart rate, and
increased contractility of the heart, all help to
maintain and bring blood pressure back to
normal(Guyton and Hall, 2011).
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BARORECEPTOR
FLOWCHART
(Costanzo, 2018).
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CONCLUSION
The baroreceptor mechanism is a short-term
blood pressure regulation system that helps to
maintain blood pressure within a normal range
on a beat-to-beat basis. It is designed to respond
rapidly to changes in arterial pressure and to
adjust autonomic nervous system activity to
counteract those changes.
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SELECTED REFERENCES
Al-Khazraji BK & Shoemaker JK, (2018). The human
cortical autonomic network and volitional exercise in
health and disease. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab;43(11):1122-
1130.
Barrett, K. E., Barman, S. M., Boitano, S., & Brooks, H. L.,
(2014). Ganong's review of medical physiology (24th ed.).
McGraw-Hill Education. Pp 1214.
Boron, W. F., & Boulpaep, E. L. (2017). Medical physiology.
Elsevier. Chapter 39: Regulation of Arterial Pressure and
Cardiac Output, p. 774-775.
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SELECTED REFERENCES
Constanzo LS. Phsiology- 6th Edition. (2018).
Hall, J. E., & Guyton, A. C. (2011). Textbook of medical
physiology. Elsevier Saunders. Chapter 33: Regulation of
Arterial Pressure and Cardiac Output, p. 244-245.
McKinley, M. P., & O'Loughlin, V. D. (2019). Human
anatomy (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education. p 435.
Thrasher TN, Keil LC. (1998). Arterial baroreceptors
control blood pressure and vasopressin responses to
hemorrhage in conscious dogs. Am J Physiol. 275(6 Pt
2):R1843–R1857.
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