Role of neuropeptides in central control of cardiovascular responses to stress.

Neurogenic stress causes sudden acceleration of heart rate and elevation of arterial blood pressure. that may markedly increase the work load of the heart. Several recent clinical studies document significant role of stress in evoking sudden cardiovascular complications. It has been also shown that the cardiovascular responses to stress are significantly exaggerated during the post-infarct cardiac failure. This review emphasises important neuromodulatory role of some neuropeptides in regulation of the cardiovascular system during stress. A number of experimental data provide evidence that intensity of the cardiovascular responses to stress is regulated by neuropeptides. Vasopressin, angiotensin II and interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) appear to be responsible for exaggeration of the cardiovascular responses to stress whereas oxytocin seems to act in the opposite way. Recent studies performed in our Department provide evidence for differential involvement of angiotensin II AT(1), vasopressin V(1a), IL-1 and oxytocin receptors in regulation of the cardiovascular responses to the alarming stress. Current evidence suggests that the enhanced stimulation of central AT(1) and V(1) receptors as well as the attenuated stimulation of oxytocin receptors account for exaggeration of the cardiovascular responses to the sudden alarming stress during the post-infarct state. Growing number of data indicate that angiotensin II significantly interacts with vasopressin, interleukin-1 and TNF-alpha systems in the central cardiovascular control under resting conditions. Some of the neuropeptides interact also during stress.