Abstract
The arterial baroreflex is a key autonomic regulator of blood pressure whose dysfunction has been related to several cardiovascular diseases. Changes in blood pressure are sensed by specific mechanosensory proteins, called baroreceptors, particularly located in the outer layer of the carotid sinus and the inner curvature of the aortic arch. The signal is propagated along the afferent nerves to the central nervous system and serves as negative feedback of the heart rate. Despite extensive research, the precise molecular nature of baroreceptors remains elusive. Current knowledge assumes that baroreceptors are ion channels at the nerve endings within the outer layer of the arteries. However, the evidence is based mainly on animal experiments, and the specific types of mechanosensitive receptors responsible for the signal transduction are still unknown. Only a few studies have investigated mechanosensory transmission in the aortic arch. In addition, although aortic dissection, and particularly type A involving the aortic arch, is one of the most life-threatening cardiovascular disorders, there is no knowledge about the impact of aortic dissection on baroreceptor function. In this review, we aim not to highlight the regulation of the heart rate but what mechanical stimuli and what possible ion channels transfer the corresponding signal within the aortic arch, summarizing and updating the current knowledge about baroreceptors, specifically in the aortic arch, and the impact of aortic pathologies on their function.
Highlights
In humans, blood pressure is regulated within a tight physiological range
Neuronal control of blood pressure through baroreceptors in the aortic arch seems to be an essential feature of circulatory control
Arterial baroreflex is a key regulator of blood pressure, and its dysfunction has been linked with several cardiovascular diseases
Summary
Blood pressure is regulated within a tight physiological range. In order to achieve appropriate and fast changes in blood circulation, the cardiovascular system is under the control of the autonomic nervous system. Baroreceptors are assumed a type of “pressure sensors” on specific sensory neurons that can detect mechanical stretches within the arterial wall Far, they have been identified at the bifurcation of the external and internal carotid artery and along the inner aortic arch in humans [35]. The collagen filaments meander around the nerve terminals and terminate on the surface of the elastic fibers or on the basement membrane of the neuronal endings Such arrangement of the extracellular matrix ensures large distensibility of this part of the arterial wall containing baroreceptors and provides high sensitivity to changes in intraluminal pressure, thereby facilitating the transmission of the stimulus intensity to sensory nerve terminals. It is to note that the aim of our current review was not to highlight the regulation of the heart rate but what mechanical stimuli and what possible ion channels transfer the corresponding signal within the aortic arch
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