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Cardiovascular time courses during prolonged immersed static apnoea

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Abstract

To define the dynamics of cardiovascular adjustments to apnoea during immersion, beat-to-beat heart rate (HR) and systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures were recorded in six divers during and after prolonged apnoeas while resting fully immersed in 27°C water. Apnoeas lasted 215 ± 35 s. Compared to control values, HR decreased by 20 beats min−1 and SBP and DBP increased by 23 and 17 mmHg, respectively, in the initial 20 ± 3 s (phase I). Both HR and BP remained stable during the following 92 ± 15 s (phase II). Subsequently, during the final 103 ± 29 s, SBP and DBP increased linearly to values about 60% higher than control, whereas HR remained unchanged (phase III). Cardiac output (Q′) decreased by 35% in phase I and did not further change in phases II and III. Compared to control, total peripheral resistances were twice and three times higher than control, respectively, at the end of phases I and III. After resumption of breathing, HR and BP returned to control values in 5 and 30 s, respectively. The time courses of cardiovascular adjustments to immersed breath-holding indicated that cardiac response took place only at the beginning of apnoea. In contrast, vascular responses showed two distinct adjustments. This pattern suggests that the chronotropic control via the baroreflex is modified during apnoea. These cardiovascular changes during immersed static apnoea are in agreement with those already reported for static dry apnoeas.

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Acknowledgments

The Authors are grateful to the divers who participated in this study for their essential contribution. The experiments were carried out at Cala Montjoi, Roses, Catalunya, Spain. We thank David Arroniz and Oliver Herrera for logistic support. The collaboration of the Spanish Federation of Underwater Activities is acknowledged. The study was partly supported by Centro di Studio e Ricerca di Fisiologia dell’Esercizio Muscolare e dello Sport, Università di Brescia, by a grant from the University of Brescia to Renza Perini and Guido Ferretti, by Swiss National Science Foundation Grants 3200-061780 and 3200B0-102181 and by a grant from Swiss Federal Office of Sport of Magglingen to Guido Ferretti.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche e Biotecnologie, Sezione di Fisiologia Umana, Università di Brescia, viale Europa 11, 25123, Brescia, Italy

    Renza Perini, Alberto Gheza & Guido Ferretti

  2. Département de Neurosciences Fondamentales, Centre Médical Universitaire, Genève, Switzerland

    Christian Moia & Guido Ferretti

  3. Apnea Academy Research, Padua, Italy

    Nicola Sponsiello

Authors
  1. Renza Perini
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  2. Alberto Gheza
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  3. Christian Moia
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  4. Nicola Sponsiello
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  5. Guido Ferretti
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Correspondence to Renza Perini.

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Communicated by Dag Linnarsson.

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Perini, R., Gheza, A., Moia, C. et al. Cardiovascular time courses during prolonged immersed static apnoea. Eur J Appl Physiol 110, 277–283 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1489-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-010-1489-4

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