Microneurography as a tool to investigate sympathetic nerve responses to environmental stress. 1997

T Mano
Department of Autonomic and Behavioral Neurosciences, Nagoya University, Japan.

Microneurography is an electrophysiological method to record impulse traffic in human peripheral nerve in situ. Using this method, not only sensory afferent nerve activity, but also postganglionic sympathetic efferent outflow leading to muscle (muscle sympathetic nerve activity-MSNA) and skin (skin sympathetic nerve activity-SSNA) can be recorded in human subjects. In this paper, the methodology of microneurography and following findings obtained by microneurography on sympathetic nerve responses to environmental stress in humans are reviewed. 1. MSNA is enhanced by gravitational stress, while being suppressed by simulated weightlessness through baroreflex mechanism to maintain hemodynamic homeostasis. 2. MSNA is enhanced by simulated high altitude through chemoreflex mechanism. 3. SSNA, which is composed of sudomotor and vasomotor discharges, plays an essential role in thermoregulation. There exist regional differences between SSNA responses to ambient temperature in the nerves innervating hairy and glabrous skin. The function of the sympathetic nervous system in humans has been so far generally analyzed indirectly by observing the effector organ activity or by measuring the plasma noradrenaline level. Meanwhile, a more direct method to approach the sympathetic nervous function in man, called microneurography, has been developed. By applying this technique, it is possible to investigate how the human sympathetic nervous system responds to different kinds of environmental stress (Mano, 1990, 1994). In this paper, the usefulness of microneurography as a research tool in environmental physiology is shown with a review of microneurographic findings on sympathetic nerve responses to environmental stress in human subjects.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007101 Immersion The placing of a body or a part thereof into a liquid. Submersion,Immersions,Submersions
D004594 Electrophysiology The study of the generation and behavior of electrical charges in living organisms particularly the nervous system and the effects of electricity on living organisms.
D004781 Environmental Exposure The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents in the environment or to environmental factors that may include ionizing radiation, pathogenic organisms, or toxic chemicals. Exposure, Environmental,Environmental Exposures,Exposures, Environmental
D006358 Hot Temperature Presence of warmth or heat or a temperature notably higher than an accustomed norm. Heat,Hot Temperatures,Temperature, Hot,Temperatures, Hot
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000531 Altitude A vertical distance measured from a known level on the surface of a planet or other celestial body. Altitudes
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012867 Skin The outer covering of the body that protects it from the environment. It is composed of the DERMIS and the EPIDERMIS.
D013312 Stress, Physiological The unfavorable effect of environmental factors (stressors) on the physiological functions of an organism. Prolonged unresolved physiological stress can affect HOMEOSTASIS of the organism, and may lead to damaging or pathological conditions. Biotic Stress,Metabolic Stress,Physiological Stress,Abiotic Stress,Abiotic Stress Reaction,Abiotic Stress Response,Biological Stress,Metabolic Stress Response,Physiological Stress Reaction,Physiological Stress Reactivity,Physiological Stress Response,Abiotic Stress Reactions,Abiotic Stress Responses,Abiotic Stresses,Biological Stresses,Biotic Stresses,Metabolic Stress Responses,Metabolic Stresses,Physiological Stress Reactions,Physiological Stress Responses,Physiological Stresses,Reaction, Abiotic Stress,Reactions, Abiotic Stress,Response, Abiotic Stress,Response, Metabolic Stress,Stress Reaction, Physiological,Stress Response, Metabolic,Stress Response, Physiological,Stress, Abiotic,Stress, Biological,Stress, Biotic,Stress, Metabolic
D013564 Sympathetic Nervous System The thoracolumbar division of the autonomic nervous system. Sympathetic preganglionic fibers originate in neurons of the intermediolateral column of the spinal cord and project to the paravertebral and prevertebral ganglia, which in turn project to target organs. The sympathetic nervous system mediates the body's response to stressful situations, i.e., the fight or flight reactions. It often acts reciprocally to the parasympathetic system. Nervous System, Sympathetic,Nervous Systems, Sympathetic,Sympathetic Nervous Systems,System, Sympathetic Nervous,Systems, Sympathetic Nervous

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