Peripheral chemoreceptors in health and disease.
Prabhakar, Nanduri R., and Ying-Jie Peng.
Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Case Western Reserve University,
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
APStracts 10:0501A, 2003.
Peripheral chemoreceptors (carotid and aortic bodies) detect changes in arterial blood
oxygen and initiate reflexes that are important for maintaining homeostasis during
hypoxemia. This mini-review summarizes the importance of peripheral chemoreceptor
reflexes in various physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Carotid bodies are
important for eliciting hypoxic ventilatory stimulation in humans and in experimental
animals. In the absence of carotid bodies, compensatory upregulation of aortic bodies as
well as other chemoreceptors contributes to the hypoxic ventilatory response. Peripheral
chemoreceptors are critical for ventilatory acclimatization at high altitude. They also
contribute in part to the exercise-induced hyperventilation, especially with submaximal
and heavy exercise. During pregnancy, hypoxic ventilatory sensitivity increases, perhaps
due to the actions of estrogen and progesterone on chemoreceptors. Augmented
peripheral chemoreceptors have been implicated in early stages of recurrent apneas,
congestive heart failure, and certain forms of hypertension. It is likely that
chemoreceptors tend to maintain oxygen homeostasis and act as a defense mechanism to
prevent the progression of the morbidity associated with these diseases. Experimental
models of recurrent apneas, congestive heart failure, and hypertension offer excellent
opportunities to unravel the cellular mechanisms associated with altered chemoreceptor
function.
APS Manuscript Number A809-3.
Article publication pending J Appl Physiol
ISSN 1080-4757 Copyright 2003 The American Physiological Society.
Published in APStracts on 31 October 2003