DISCLAIMER:  This examination is meant for practice.  It is intended to provide you with some measure of how well you understand the material for Examination II.  It may not include questions on all subjects.  I think the answer key is correct, but alternate interpretations may be possible.  Please be sure to run all questions or explanations by Dr. Higgins before or after class.
 

#1
         Just to get us rolling along with some easy points (and expected questions!),
         predict the effects of each of the following agents (or of only the agonist if
         given after an antagonist!) with I for INCREASE, D for DECREASE, and NC
         for NO CHANGE.
 
 

AGENT	HR	TPR	SV	CO	DP	BPave
phentolamine	_NC____	_D/NC____	_NC____	_NC____	_NC____	_NC____
Muscarine	_D____	_D____	_I____	_D____	_D____	_D____
Atropine +  Nicotine (High dose)	_I____	_I____	_I____	_I____	_I____	_I____
Propranolol + NE	_NC____	_I____	_NC/~I____	_NC____	_I____	_I____
Phentolamine + NE	_I____	_D/NC____	_I____	_I____	_I____	_I____
H2 agonist	_NC____	_D____	_D____	_D____	_D____	_D____
Nicotine (low dose)	_D____	_NC____	_I____	_D____	_D____	_D____

The BP tracings for some of the above may be found in the figures located elsewhere on the Web site ( see BP tracings)
 

#2.
         Consider an individual (i.e., your lab partner) who has been accidentally jabbed
         with a syringe containing ACh.

a.     Please draw the expected response in his/her BP tracing below:  (Be accurate &
        complete; do not include the homeostatic response.)

Please see the BP response to ACh found elsewhere on the Web site.  (Obviously I cannot draw it in Word document.)  Note that the DP decreases, PP increases, HR decreases, and SP should be somewhere near the pre-treatment level.

b.     In FEWER THAN 10 WORDS , explain the effects of the ACh's actions on each of
       the cardiovascular factors listed below (i.e., tell us WHY you see the effect you predict):

HR: muscarinic receptors = sames as parasymp = decreased HR

SV: Increased filling time = increased EDV = increased SV due to......

DP: more time between beats = longer time for DP to fall

PP: increased SV (see above) = increased PP

CO: decreased due to decreased HR

Capillary filtration & reabsorption: decreased BP = decreased filtration & increased reabsorp

Baroreceptor sensory nerve: decreases due to decreased BP

Pressor Area:   Increased due to decreased input from Depressor

Depressor Area:  Decreased due to decreased stimulation by baraorecptor sensory nerve

Vagus afferent nerve:  Decreased due to dcecreased depressor area activity

Vagus efferent nerve:  due to decreased aortic arch sensory barorecptor nerve activity

Sympathetic NS output: Increased due to increased pressor area activity

Interval between P waves of ECG:  decreased to increased HR via symp activity to raise BP back to normal

End Diastolic Volume:  Increased due to symp --> increased VR & contractility
 

3.    In the BP experiments in the lab, you noticed an effect on BP when you injected lactic acid i.v. into the rat.  What was this change and why did it occur?

Lactic acid in blood ---> shifts HCO3- towards CO₂  Thus as CO₂ increases, it stimulates peripheral chemoreceptors (some) and diffuses into CNS where it stimulates medullary chemoreceptors.  This decreases depressor activity which results in less inhibition of pressor area and increased pressor area activity to increase sympathetic output:  increased SV (you know the mechanism), increased HR, increased CO and VR, AND decreased parasypathetic output (due to decreased depressor area activity).

4.    Draw or diagram the feedback cycle for the decline of cardiovascular function following the formation of a myocardial infarct:

Infarct = area of non-functional tissue --> rest of ventricle must work harder -> increased O₂ demand and hypertrophy --> work harder --> etc.
 

5.    During exercise, a highly trained athlete may actually decrease her TPR while increasing her CO by 2 or 3 fold.  How does this happen???

Possible because as symp stimulation and autoregulation dilate BVs to skeletal muscle, the ventricles can maintain venous return by increased SV (symp stimulation; do you know the intracellular pathway or mechanism?)

6.    Describe the ionic events occuring during an action potential in the SA node of the heart.  Describe the actions of ACh and NE on the ionic channels and events in the SA node.

See pages 380 - 382 for a detailed list of the events.  Symp and parasymp effects are also discussed on 382.

7.    As promised, a few UP/DOWNS!!  Please use D, I, or NC.
 

a.	As [Epi] increases, the SA node's Na+ conductance	_I_______
b.	As digitalis is administered to a subject, her TPR will	_D_______
c.	As renal blood flow decreases, renal artery diameter will	_I_______
d.	As an individual ages, venous blood vessel compliance	_D_______
e.	As blood vessel compliance decreases, diastolic BP	_I_______
f.	Immediately after the T wave of the ECG, ventricular pressure	_D_______
g.	As plasma [CO2] increases, vagal afferent nerve activity	_I_______
h.	As cardiac EDV decreases, SV will	_I_______
i.	Immediately after the P wave of the ECG, ventricular pressure	_I_______
j.	Immediately after the QRS complex, the mitral valve is	_Closed_______
k.	As pressor area activity decreases, venous return	_D_______
l.	As plasma [beta 2 agonist], red blood cell [2,3-DPG]	_I_______