Pulsatile vs. mean component of baroreflex compensation for posthemorrhage hypotension.

We studied the influence of pulsatile pressure and mean arterial pressure signals on the restoration of arterial pressure after 10% hemorrhage in seven anesthetized dogs. After transection of the aortic nerve, a quick 10% hemorrhage was repeated under four different sinus conditions: condition 1, carotid sinus pressure depulsated and fixed at a level equal to the prehemorrhage level (no feedback); condition 2, pulsatile component of aortic pressure fed back to the carotid sinus with a fixed mean pressure (pulsatile feedback); condition 3, depulsated mean aortic pressure fed back (mean pressure feedback); condition 4, both pulsatile and mean pressure fed back (pulsatile plus mean component feedback). The restoration of arterial pressure in condition 2 was not significantly different from that in condition 1, but there was greater restoration in conditions 3 and 4. At 1.5 min posthemorrhage, the open-loop gains calculated from the restoration values were nearly zero for the pulsatile feedback only, 2.8 +/- 0.8 for mean arterial pressure feedback, and 1.5 +/- 0.3 for pulsatile and mean pressure feedback. These results indicate that the pulsatile component of the carotid baroreflex contributes minimally to the restoration of arterial pressure after 10% hemorrhage in the anesthetized dog.