Concurrent reductions in blood pressure and metabolic rate during fasting in the unrestrained SHR

Fasting produces multiple cardiovascular, metabolic, and behavioral responses. To examine the interrelationship between these responses, male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR; n = 8) implanted with cardiovascular telemetry devices were housed in metabolic chambers at 23 degrees C for 22-h daily measurements of physiological variables. The experimental apparatus was designed so that ingestive behavior was detected by photobeams and locomotion was detected by a load sensor. Cardiovascular and metabolic status were determined as both a function of the circadian cycle (12-h dark and 10-h light), as well as during periods of inactivity (no ingestion and minimal locomotion) within the dark and light phases. Data were obtained during baseline, 48-h of caloric deprivation, and 6 days of refeeding. Fasting produced significant reductions in mean arterial pressure (dark: -9.2 +/- 1.3 from 143.7 +/- 3.7 mmHg; light: -8.6 +/- 1.8 from 140.1 +/- 3.7 mmHg), heart rate (dark: -43.4 +/- 5.2 from 330.0 +/- 5.2 beats/min; light: -27.4 +/- 5.2 from 294.0 +/- 5.2 beats/min), and oxygen consumption (dark: -5.0 +/- 0.6 from 20.6 +/- 0.3 ml . min(-1) . kg(0.75); light: -2.7 +/- 0.2 from 14.9 +/- 0.2 ml . min(-1) . kg(0.75)). Analysis of inactive periods during both light and dark phases revealed that these reductions were not dependent on behavioral effects. We conclude that fasting produces concurrent and interrelated reductions in cardiovascular and metabolic function in the SHR. The merging of cardiovascular telemetry, indirect calorimetry, and behavioral monitoring provides a powerful approach for investigation of the integrative physiological responses to energetic challenges.