Sex and ageing differences in resting arterial pressure regulation: the role of the β-adrenergic receptors

摘要

Non-technical summaryIn young men, sympathetic nerve activity is directly related to the level of vasoconstrictor tone in the peripheral vasculature. However, in young women this relationship does not exist, suggesting that certain factors (potentially related to the female sex hormones) offset the transfer of sympathetic nerve activity into vasoconstrictor tone in this population. In the present study we show that, in young women, the β-adrenergic receptors (which cause vasodilatation in response to noradrenaline) blunt the vasoconstrictor effect of resting sympathetic nerve activity in young women. This mechanism does not occur in young men or postmenopausal women. It is possible that the β-adrenergic receptors may partially protect young women against the sometimes harmful effects of high sympathetic nerve activity. This may explain why the risk of developing hypertension is greater in young men and postmenopausal women (who have very high sympathetic nerve activity) compared to young women.