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Sex differences in α-adrenergic support of blood pressure

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Abstract

We tested whether the inter-individual variability in α-adrenergic support of blood pressure plays a critical role in the sex differences in tonic support of blood pressure by the autonomic nervous system. Blockade of the α-adrenergic receptors was achieved via phentolamine and showed a smaller (P < 0.05) decrease in blood pressure in women compared to men, implying that α-adrenergic support of blood pressure is less in women than in men.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Karen Krucker, Shelly Roberts, Nicholas Strom, Jessica Sawyer and Shirley Kingsley-Berg for their excellent technical support. We also thank the subjects for their participation in this investigation. This study was supported by National Institutes of Health grant HL083947, Swedish Medical Council grant 12170, AHA grant 09POST2170087, and CTSA-UL-1-RR-024150. Additional support came from the Mayo Foundation including a philanthropic gift from the Caywood family and the Mayo Clinic Department of Anesthesia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Judith A. M. Schmitt, Michael J. Joyner & Emma C. Hart

  2. Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Nisha Charkoudian

  3. Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgren Academy at Gothenburg University, Göteborg, Sweden

    B. Gunnar Wallin

Authors
  1. Judith A. M. Schmitt
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  2. Michael J. Joyner
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  3. Nisha Charkoudian
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  4. B. Gunnar Wallin
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  5. Emma C. Hart
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Emma C. Hart.

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Schmitt, J.A.M., Joyner, M.J., Charkoudian, N. et al. Sex differences in α-adrenergic support of blood pressure. Clin Auton Res 20, 271–275 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-010-0061-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-010-0061-y

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