Janssen B J, Tyssen C M, Duindam H, Rietveld W J
Department of Pharmacology, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Physiol Behav. 1994 Feb;55(2):307-11. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(94)90138-4.
To evaluate whether the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) control 24-h rhythmicity in cardiovascular function, rats were subjected to computerized recording of 24-h blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) following SCN lesions. In sham- and nonlesioned rats, circadian patterns of BP and HR ran in phase with those in feeding behavior. In SCN-lesioned rats circadian rhythmicity in BP, HR and food intake were abolished. Minute-to-minute variation of BP and HR was similar as in sham- and nonlesioned rats. We conclude that long-term but not short-term variability of blood pressure and heart rate is largely determined by SCN-controlled activity levels.
