Blood Pressure and its regulation

Blood pressure

Definition: Blood pressure is the lateral pressure which is exerted right angle
to the blood flow through blood vessel.

B.P is expressed as –
- Systolic pressure
- Diastolic pressure
- Mean pressure
- Pulse pressure

Function of blood pressure

• To maintain a sufficient pressure head to keep the blood

flowing.
• To provide for the motive force of filtration at capillary bed.
• helps in supplying nutrition to the tissue cells.
• formation of urine, lymph etc.
Regulation of Blood Pressure
• Several factors control blood pressure
• Cardiac output and peripheral resistance are
very much important.
• Arterial Blood pressure = Cardiac output * total
peripheral resistance.

NERVOUS MECHANISM
Arterial baroreceptor mechanism:
• Baroreceptors are nerve endings
• Located at the walls of the arteries –
• Abundant in
(i) internal carotid artery ii) Walls of the aortic arch
• Carotid sinus → impulses → Hering’s
nerve → glossopharyngeal nerve →
medulla.

• Aortic arch → impulse → vagus nerve →

medulla.

Fig.: Barorecepter Pathways

• Baroreceptors are not stimulated at
all by pressure between 0 and 60
mm Hg.

• Above 60 mm Hg they respond

progressively more and more.

• Max. at 180 mm Hg.

• Increase in no. of impulses for each

unit change of arterial pressure
(ΔI / ΔP ) is greater at near
normal mean pressure
• Slight change in pressure causes strong
sympathetic reflex → art. pr. readjusted
• Changes in arterial pressure → rapid
response of baroreceptor.

• Systole → ↑ increase in no. of impulses .

• Diastole → ↓ decrease in no. of impulses.

Baroreceptor respond much more to changing Pressure (rising/ falling) than to a stationary pressure

• Reflex initiated by baroreceptor due to rise in BP

• Baroreceptor reflex →inhibit vasoconstrictor center ( medulla)

Excite vagal center.


@ Vasodilatation of peripheral circulation.
@ Decreased Cardiac Output
@ Decreased strength of contraction

 Low pressure has apposite effect.

• Decreased carotid sinus pressure → B.R. become inactive → No. inhibitory effect

on Vasomotor Center (V.M.C)

V.M.C activated


B.P rises
• Buffer action of baroreceptor
Baroreceptor opposes increase & decrease
of B.P.
↓
it is called buffer system

After removal of baroreceptor nerve


extreme variability of B.P due to simple
events like lying, standing , excitement,
eating etc.
Fig: Two hours records
of arterial pressure
in a normal dog
(above) and in the
same dog (below
several weeks after
the baroreceptors
has been
denervated.
Role of atrial and pulmonary receptors
 Atria & pulmonary arteries
Stretch receptor (are also called low pressure receptor)

• with low pressure receptor intact → BP changes less with

changes of blood volume.

An Experiment :

• 300 ml of blood is imposed to dog.

• With no receptor → BP rises to 120 mm Hg.

• With low pressure receptor absent but baroreceptor present →

BP rises to 50 mm Hg.

• With all receptors present → BP rises to 15 mm Hg

Role of atrial and pulmonary receptors…………

* Low pressure receptors cannot detect

systemic arterial pressure
** But can detect increase in pressure
due to increase in volume → reflexes
elicited parallel to B.R.

* Pulmonary receptor → operate identically

like B.R.
Atrial receptor acts in different way
 Stretching of atria → reflex vasodilatation of
peripheral arterioles →  in peripheral resistance

↓
↓BP towards normal

Control of H.R.
 Atrial volume → stretch SA node →  HR
by 20 – 70% →  B.P.
Role of Vasomotor Center (VMC)
B.P. ↓
↓
Slowly flowing blood to brain
↓
Slow removal of CO2
↓
 CO2 Conc.
↓

Ischemia Lactic acid and

Increased VMC other acid
of brain 
activity
↓
Sympathetic
vasoconstriction
↓
Increased B.P

This is called CNS ischemic response

Role of Vasomotor Center (VMC………….

• Brain (CNS) ischemia → tremendous VMC

activity → Elevate BP to 270 mm Hg.

• CNS ischemia does not become very active

until the BP falls below 50 mm Hg.
Role of Chemo-receptor :
* Location : Bifurcation of carotid arteries →
Carotid body
• Arch of aorta → Aortic body.
* Size : 1- 2 mm
* Specialized Receptors → Sensitive to O2

lack, CO2 excess and H+ excess

* Nerve Pathway :
Carotid body → Hering’s nerve

Vasomotor Center
Aortic body → Vagus nerve
Mechanism
 O2 conc. in arterial blood  blood flow to chemoreceptor

Excitation of
chemo-receptor
↓
Impulse
↓
VMC
↓
Reflexly elevates B.P

The O2 lack reflex is not so powerful in normal arterial pressure range.

* It can exert reasonable feedback effect on arterial pressure when

BP ranges 40-80 mm Hg.
Hormonal control of BP
Hormonal Control :
• Norepinephrine – epinephrine mechanism

Stimulation of sympathetic N.S → Nervous activation of blood vessel and heart

Release of epinephrine and nor-epinephrine in blood

Circulation in all parts of the body

Excite heart Constrict blood vessels

H. R. Increased  B. P Peripheral resistance 

 E and NE circulates in blood for 1 to 3 min before being destroyed.

Prolonged excitation of circulation

The hormones can reach some parts of the circulation that have no sympathetic Nerve Supply .
Renin – angiotensin mechanism :
Arterial pressure  Blood flow through kidney 

Renin (Kidney)
(1 hour)
Renin Substrate Anginotensin –I
(plasmaprotein)
Converting enzyme
(lung)

Angiotensinase Angiotensin II (3 min)

(inactivated)
Vasoconstriction
Arteriole Vein

Peripheral Resistance Circulatory filling pressure 

Arterial Pressure  Venous return 

Helps the heart to pump against extra pressure

Other Effects of Angiotension :

Angiotensin Adrenal cortex

Kidney Aldosterone

Decreased excretion of salt and water

Blood volume 

B.P.
Role of Vasopression :
Arterial pressure 
(+)
Hypothalamus
(+)
Post. –pituitary gland

Vasopression

Vasoconstriction of blood vessels

Arterial pressure 

• After removal of B.P. controlling mechanism, the vasopressing can increase

B.P. by 35mm Hg after Hemorrhage. But such effect is not seen in normal
animal.

• * Vasopressing take part in long term regulation of B.P.

• * After 24 to 48 hrs. nervous reflexes put out but vasopressing mechanism does
not .
Other mechanism :
Vasopressin (ADH)

Kidney

 Secretion of salt and water

 Blood volume

B. P. 