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Baroreceptor responses derived from a fundamental concept

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Abstract

A model is presented that relates the change in baroreceptor firing rate to a step change in blood pressure. This relationship is nonlinear since the alteration in rate of firing depends on the current rate of firing. It is shown that this simple relationship embodies all currently established baroreceptor response modes. The model needs refinement to allow for effects arising from the properties of the tissue matrix in which the receptors are embedded. Further analysis is precluded at present owing to paucity of quantitative experimental data.

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Abbreviations

n :

current firing rate

n a :

adapted firing rate

n max :

maximum firing rate

Δn :

change in firing rate in response to a stepfunction in pressure

p :

blood pressure

Δp :

stepwise change in pressure

t :

time

τ:

time constant

a 1,a 2,a 3 :

weighting factors

a, b, c, k, k 1, k2, P0, G, H:

constants

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiovascular Studies Unit, Departments of Bioengineering and Animal Biology, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, Philadelphia

    Mona F. Taher, Albert B. P. Cecchini, Mark A. Allen, Sherif R. Gobran, Robert C. Gorman, Brian L. Guthrie, Kyle A. Lingenfelter, Sina Y. Rabbany, Philip M. Rolchigo, Julius Melbin & Abraham Noordergraaf

Authors
  1. Mona F. Taher
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  2. Albert B. P. Cecchini
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  3. Mark A. Allen
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  4. Sherif R. Gobran
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  5. Robert C. Gorman
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  6. Brian L. Guthrie
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  7. Kyle A. Lingenfelter
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  8. Sina Y. Rabbany
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  9. Philip M. Rolchigo
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  10. Julius Melbin
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  11. Abraham Noordergraaf
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Additional information

Supported in part by NIH grants HL 10,330, HL 22,223, HL 24,966, and HL 31,480. This study developed from a class project in a graduate Biocontrol course taught by Abraham Noordergraaf.

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Taher, M.F., Cecchini, A.B.P., Allen, M.A. et al. Baroreceptor responses derived from a fundamental concept. Ann Biomed Eng 16, 429–443 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02368008

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02368008

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