Mechanism of changes in vascular chemoreceptors on adaptation of reflexes

Summary The authors studied the changes in the arterial blood pressure and respiration occurring on perfusion of the vessels of the rabbit ear, and of the small intestine and carotid sinus in cat and rabbit with acetylcholine and adrenalin solutions. Administration of cadmium chloride and sodium fluoride has markedly reduced the time of adaptation of these reflexes. The reflex reaction after its adaptation was restored, in a number of cases, by the addition of cysteine and adenosine triphosphate to the perfusate. This effect of cysteine was more pronounced after the adaptation of the reflexes to acetylcholine. The changes occurring in various metabolic links in the receptors during reflex adaptation are discussed.Presented by Academician V. N. Chernigovskii Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 51. No. 1, pp. 8–13, January, 1961