Sympathetic nerve activity and renal responses during continuous negative-pressure breathing in humans.

A stretch stimulus of the cardiopulmonary receptors results in a diuresis and natriuresis in dogs due to a suppression of renal sympathetic nerve activity. In the present experiment, the stretch stimulus in humans was given by means of continuous negative-pressure breathing (CNPB), and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), renal responses, and hormones were measured to examine whether MSNA response during CNPB correlated with the usual renal and hormonal responses for stretch stimulus of the cardiopulmonary receptors. Nine healthy males were subjected to CNPB at -11 mmHg for 60 min. MSNA in the peroneal muscle nerve fascicles was measured continuously before (pre-CNPB), during, and after CNPB (post-CNPB). A step and sustained decrease (P less than 0.05) in MSNA (30 +/- 6% for burst frequency and 37 +/- 4% for total activity from pre-CNPB level) was observed during CNPB and it returned to pre-CNPB level at post-CNPB. Urinary excretion increased by 58 +/- 18% (P less than 0.05) during CNPB, and the diuresis was entirely osmolal in nature because of a significant increase (P less than 0.05) in Na excretion and a constant free-water clearance. The plasma level of norepinephrine decreased significantly (P less than 0.05) during CNPB and remained decreased (P less than 0.05) at post-CNPB. A twofold increase (P less than 0.05) in plasma atrial natriuretic peptide and a 35 +/- 9% reduction (P less than 0.05) in plasma renin activity were observed during CNPB, whereas no change was observed in plasma aldosterone and arginine vasopressin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)