Lidocaine and cardiovascular reflex responses to simulated orthostatic stress in normal volunteers.

The interactions of lidocaine with baroreceptor reflexes during simulated orthostatic stress or moderate volume depletion were investigated in healthy volunteers using the lower body negative pressure (LBNP) test. Cardiopulmonary baroreceptors were selectively unloaded at low levels of LBNP (-15 mm Hg) since the central venous pressure (CVP) decreased (-1.4 +/- 0.3 mm Hg) without changes in arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) but significant increases in forearm vascular resistance (FVR) and plasma noradrenaline (PNA). Cardiopulmonary as well as arterial baroreflexes were both unloaded at higher levels of LBNP (-40 mm Hg) since the CVP (-3.4 +/- 0.4 mm Hg) and systolic AP (-10 +/- 3 mm Hg) decreased whereas FVR, PNA, and plasma renin activity (PRA) increased further (all p less than 0.05). Following lidocaine infusion (serum level of 3.8 +/- 0.2 micrograms/ml), the AP, HR, FVR, and PNA increased and CVP decreased (p less than 0.05). Compared to LBNP performed under saline, lidocaine did not alter the LBNP (-15 mm Hg)-induced changes in cardiovascular and biological parameters but significantly decreased the induced rises in HR, FVR, PNA, and PRA at a LBNP of -40 mm Hg (p less than 0.05). In an additional study, it was also demonstrated that lidocaine significantly decreased the sensitivity of the reflex-mediated bradycardia following phenylephrine injection and attenuated the vasoconstrictor response to the cold pressor test taken as a nonspecific somatic pressor reflex.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)