CARDIOVASCULAR PHYSIOLOGY

NON-NERVOUS CONTROL OF
THE HEART

PRESENTATION FOR VALENTINE

MHUTE
ND1 PHARMACY 2020
Harare Polytechnic
 Control of the heart rate

 The inherent autonomous discharge rate of the SA

node is 100beats/min in the complete absence of
any nervous or hormonal influences on the SA node.
 

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 Local Control of the Heart

 It indicates the mechanisms that are independent of

the nerves or hormones by which the organs and
tissues alter their own arteriolar resistances, thereby
self-regulating their blood flows.

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Local Control of the Heart Continued….

This self-regulation is apparent in phenomena such as:

 Active hyperaemia,

 Flow autoregulation

 Reactive hyperaemia

 Local response to injury

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 Active Hyperaemia

 Most organs and tissues manifest an increased blood

flow (hyperaemia) when their metabolic activity is
increased, then the blood flow to exercising skeletal
muscle also increases. For example, the flow of blood
to the exercising skeletal muscle increases in direct
proportion to the increased activity of the muscle.
 Active hyperaemia arises because of the dilation
arteriolar in the more active organs or tissues.

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 Flow Autoregulation

 Autoregulation is a manifestation of the local flow

of blood regulation. It is defined as the essential
ability of an organ to maintain a constant flow of
blood despite changes in perfusion pressure.
 When the flow of blood falls, arterial resistance (R)
also falls as the resistance vessels (the small arteries
and arterioles) dilate.

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 Flow Autoregulation
Continued….
 The oxygen dependence of tissue on blood flow is
responsible for autoregulation in organs with high
oxygen consumption. Both the myocardium and the
brain exhibit a high degree of autoregulation, and in
both of the organs, blood flow is highly dependent
on the consumption of oxygen by the tissue.

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 Reactive Hyperaemia

 It is the transient increase inflow of blood in an

organ that occurs following a brief period of
ischemia (arterial occlusion) or arterial blockage. In
this example, the flow of blood goes to zero during
arterial occlusion.
 Reactive hyperemia is a name used to portray the
transient increase in flow rate above the control
level which follows an interval of arterial occlusion.

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 Reactive Hyperaemia
Continued…
 It ensures that post-occlusion, all cells will receive
enough oxygen rapidly, and any dead cells and
metabolic wastes will be swiftly flushed out from
the area to reduce continued damage.

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 Local Response to Injury
 Myocardial infarction is associated with an
inflammatory reaction, which is necessary for the
healing and the formation of a scar.
 If the tissues are injured first, the small blood
vessels in the damaged area constrict momentarily.
This process called vasoconstriction. After this
temporary event, which is believed to be of little
essentialness to the inflammatory response of the
tissues, the blood vessels dilate (vasodilation),
increasing the flow of blood into the injured area.

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 Local Response to Injury
Continued….
 Coronary artery occlusion critically decreases the
flow of blood to the portion of the myocardium
subserved, markedly impairing the energy
metabolism.
 These abnormalities are not attended by lethal injury
and the ischemic myocardium ultimately recovers.
 However, ischemia of significant duration to induce
infarction does result in an inflammatory response
by body tissues, this inflammatory response is both
accelerated and augmented if the ischemic tissue is
reperfused.
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 Hormonal Control of the
Heart
 Epinephrine, like the norepinephrine released from
the sympathetic neurons of the sympathetic nervous
system, can bind to the α-adrenergic receptors on an
arteriolar smooth muscle and cause the muscle to
constrict (vasoconstriction).
 However, because many of the arteriolar smooth
muscle cells possess the β2 subtype of the adrenergic
receptors, as well as α-adrenergic receptors and the
binding of the epinephrine hormone to the β2
receptors causes the relaxation of the muscle cells
rather than contract.
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 Hormonal Control of the
Heart Continued…
 Another crucial hormone for the control of arteriolar
is angiotensin II, which constricts most of the
arterioles.
 Another hormone that causes arteriolar constriction
is Antidiuretic Hormone (ADH) also known as
vasopressin, which is released into the blood by the
posterior pituitary in response to a decrease in blood
pressure.

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 Hormonal Control of the
Heart Continued…
 The atrial natriuretic peptide is a hormone secreted
by the cardiac atria—is a potent vasodilator.
 Atrial natriuretic peptide does have an effect on the
pressure of blood by regulating Na+ balance and
blood volume.

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 References:
Barret, K.E, Barman, S.M, Boitano, S, Brooks, H.L. (2016). Ganong’s Review of Medical
Physiology, 25th Edition. McGraw Hill Education, New York, USA.

Hall,J.E,(2016), Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Phyiology 13th Edition.

Elsevier, Philadelphia, USA.

Sherwood, L,(2010). Human Physiology From Cells to Systems, 7th Edition.

Brooks Cole Cengage Learning, West Virginia, USA.

Silverthorn, D.U,(2010). Human Physiology An Integrated Approach, 5th Edition.

Pearson Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco, USA.

Waugh, A .Grant, A. (2014). Rolls & Wilson Anatomy & Physiology

in Health and Illness, 12th Edition. Churchill Livingstone Elsevier,
New York, USA.

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