Vestibular inputs elicit patterned changes in limb blood flow in conscious cats

Previous experiments have demonstrated that the vestibular system contributes to regulating sympathetic nervous system activity, particularly the discharges of vasoconstrictor fibres. In the present study, we examined the physiological significance of vestibulosympathetic responses by comparing blood flow and vascular resistance in the forelimb and hindlimb during head-up tilt from the prone position before and after the removal of vestibular inputs through a bilateral vestibular neurectomy. Experiments were performed on conscious cats that were trained to remain sedentary on a tilt table during rotations up to 60 deg in amplitude. Blood flow through the femoral and brachial arteries was recorded during whole-body tilt using perivascular probes; blood pressure was recorded using a telemetry system and vascular resistance was calculated from blood pressure and blood flow measurements. In vestibular-intact animals, 60 deg head-up tilt produced similar to 20% decrease in femoral blood flow and similar to 37% increase in femoral vascular resistance relative to baseline levels before tilt; similar effects were also observed for the brachial artery (similar to 25% decrease in blood flow and similar to 38% increase in resistance). Following the removal of vestibular inputs, brachial blood flow and vascular resistance during head-up tilt were almost unchanged. In contrast, femoral vascular resistance increased only similar to 6% from baseline during 60 deg head-up rotation delivered in the first week after elimination of vestibular signals and similar to 16% in the subsequent 3-week period (as opposed to the similar to 37% increase in resistance that occurred before lesion). These data demonstrate that vestibular inputs associated with postural alterations elicit regionally specific increases in vascular resistance that direct blood flow away from the region of the body where blood pooling may occur. Thus, the data support the hypothesis that vestibular influences on the cardiovascular system serve to protect against the occurrence of orthostatic hypotension.