Autonomic control of heart rate and blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats during aversive classical conditioning.

An examination was made of the heart rate (HR) and blood pressure (BP) responses of 7-9-wk-old spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and genetical control Wistar/Kyoto (WKY) rats during aversive classical conditioning. Subsequent to the development of conditioned responding (CRs), assessments were made of the effects of selective autonomic blockade by methyl atropine (10 mg/kg), phentolamine (2 mg/kg), and propranolol (2 mg/kg). The CR complex in the two strains consisted of pressor BP CRs in conjunction with vagally mediated decelerative HR CRs in the SHR strain and sympathetically mediated accelerative HR CRs in the WKY strain. The decelerative SHR HR CR did not appear to be secondary to baroreceptor reflex activity, although such activity did appear to be involved in the pressor BP and decelerative HR orienting response (OR) and unconditioned response (UR) complex of the SHRs on the initial application of the CS and the US, respectively. Augmented pressor BP ORs, CRs, and URs in the SHRs relative to the WKYs and differential drug effects on BP and HR baselines of the two strains suggested the presence of enhanced sympathetic activity in the SHRs that was not reflected in the SHR decelerative HR CR. Phentolamine unmasked evidence of reflex beta 2-vasodilation deficiency in the SHRs that could have contributed to the enhancement of their BP OR and CR.