PHYSIOLOGICAL-MECHANISMS IN REGULATION OF BLOOD-PRESSURE FAST FREQUENCY VARIATIONS

Spectral analysis of blood pressure fast oscillations (short-term vari ability), both in humans and animals, reveals three major frequential domains: the very low-, low- and the high-frequency domain. In this pa per, experimental data providing evidence for physiological mechanisms involved in the regulation of blood pressure oscillations such as sym pathetic nervous system, renin-angiotensin system, NO, respiration, he art function, and circulating blood volume are reviewed. In addition, novel evidence is provided by the author for vasopressin modulation of the low- and high-frequency blood pressure components. This review su ggests that the multiplicity of factors involved in the genesis of the blood pressure spectral components imply utmost caution in interpreti ng spectral results.