Can sympathetic modulation of arterial smooth muscle produce the “10-second rhythm”? Analysis with a computer model of blood pressure control

A computer model of cardiovascular control based on experimentally derived response characteristics of cardiovascular control components was used to study the 10-second oscillations in arterial pressure and heart rate commonly observed in humans and other animals. Evidence exist to support many theories for the oscillations most of which rely on the ability of muscle sympathetic nerve efferent activity to modulate arterial pressure at frequencies up to 0.12 Hz. However, experimental evidence suggests that sympathetic vascular control has very low gain (-13 to -34 dB) at 0.10 Hz, and a review of previously published computer models reveals that the filter properties used to produce a 10-second rhythm differ from the experimental results. Results of model simulations demonstrate that without modification of the efferent responses derived from the experimental data, no spontaneous oscillations are present