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Oscillations in Sympatho-Vagal Balance Oppose Variations in -Wave Activity and the Associated Renin Release

Laboratoire des Régulations Physiologiques et des Rythmes Biologiques chez l’Homme, Institut de Physiologie, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Anne Charloux, Laboratoire des Régulations Physiologiques et des Rythmes Biologiques, Institut de Physiologie, 4 rue Kirschleger, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France.

To determine the potential role of the sympathetic nervous system in the generation of the oscillations in PRA over the 24-h period, we used the autocorrelation coefficient of RR interval (rRR), a new tool to evaluate the sympatho-vagal balance continuously. We determined the influence of the sympathetic nervous system both on the nocturnal PRA oscillations associated to increases in -wave activity and on the daytime oscillations that occur randomly in awake subjects.

PRA and rRR were determined every 10 min during 24 h in nine healthy subjects under continuous bed rest. Electroencephalographic spectral analysis was used to establish the variations in -wave activity during sleep, from 2300–0700 h. The overnight profiles in PRA, rRR, and -wave activity were analyzed using a modified version of the pulse detection program ULTRA. The temporal link among the profiles of rRR, PRA, and -wave activity was quantified using cross-correlation analysis.

During sleep, large oscillations in PRA were strongly linked to variations in -wave activity. They were preceded by opposite oscillations in rRR, decreases in rRR reflecting predominant vagal activity, and increases in rRR reflecting sympathetic dominance. During the waking periods, the levels of rRR were higher, with smaller variations. The daytime PRA oscillations were not associated with any significant changes in rRR, and conversely, significant oscillations in rRR were not followed by any significant changes in PRA.

In conclusion, the sympathetic nervous system is not directly involved in the generation of renin oscillations observed under basal conditions. During sleep, the oscillations in sympatho-vagal balance are inversely related to the variations in -wave activity and the associated renin release. The processes that give the intermittent signal for concomitant increases in slow wave activity and renin release from the kidney remain to be identified.