Blood Flow, Pressure, and Resistance 03/14/2017

Systemic Blood Pressure

Systolic Blood Pressure peak pressure that blood exerts against
vessel walls (specifically pressure in aorta), associated w/ ventricular
contraction
Diastolic Blood Pressure pressure blood exerts against vessel wall
during diastole, normally lowest blood pressure in the aorta (pressure you
have to exceed to open aortic valve)
Never report blood pressure in odd numbers
Graph specific to left side of heart
Aorta Arteries Arterioles Capillaries Venules Veins Vena
Cava (120 mmHg down to 2 mmHg)
Blood flows down pressure gradient
Falls rapidly from arteries to capillaries
Believed that BP in brachial artery is almost the same as BP in aorta
Pulse wave becomes harder to distinguish when you get down into
smaller vessels
Dont take pulse w/ your thumb b/c you have an artery in your thumb
Mean Arterial Pressure (MAP) calculated number, tells you how hard
the heart is working
Arterioles nicknamed the resistance vessels, where steep pressure
drop occurs
Normally in constricted state, this is where most of peripheral
resistance takes place
If arterioles dilate you BP will fall so fast youll pass out
When you walk some of you arterioles dilate to allow blood flow to the
muscles that you are using

Arterial Blood Pressure

Pulse pressure difference between systolic and diastolic BPs
= SBP DBP
need to calculate this to find MAP
MAP pressure that propels the blood into the tissues
MAP = diastolic pressure + 1/3 of pulse pressure

Maintaining Blood Pressure

 Ways to regulate blood pressure:
Cardiac Output (Q)
Peripheral Resistance (R)
Blood Volume
BP = Q x R
BP varies directly w/ Q, R, and blood volume
Q = MAP / R or MAP = Q x R
Q = delta P/R or deltaP = Q x R

Controls of Blood Pressure

Short term controls:
1. Neural almost exclusively referring to sympathetic nervous system
(exceptions concern sexual reproduction)
Receptors are Alpha 1 and Beta 2
Alpha 1 in systemic blood vessels, cause vasoconstriction, resistance
then goes up
Beta 2 in coronary blood vessels, cause vasodilation
Multiple ways to affect these receptors:
1. Baroreceptors located w/in carotid arteries, mechanical sensors so
when you squeeze them you mimic and increase in BP
BP in vessels increase and we stress/activate baroreceptors in carotid,
there is a neuron that connects to the brain stem which causes the brain
stem to secrete an inhibitory neurotransmitter to decrease sympathetic
activity so HR, cardiac output, MAP, and BP decrease, we also decrease
contractility
Under negative feedback control
Reaches the alpha 1 receptors in systemic vessels which decreases
their activity and cause vasodilation which reduces resistance and also
lowers BP
If you decrease BP and stop activating baroreceptor then your
sympathetic activity goes back up
2. Chemoreceptors
3. Brain centers (hypothalamus) increase stress increase BP
2. Humeral
Normally secreted locally
Nitric Oxide (NO/EDRF)
 Inflammatory chemicals (histamine, kinins)
K+ increase induces vasodilation
CO2 increase cause vasodilation
H+ increase/decrease in pH - vasodilation
3. Hormonal
Catecholamines Epinephrine, effect depends upon receptor
Angiotensin II always a vasoconstrictor
ADH retain water, increase blood volume
Atrial Natriuretic Peptide makes you urinate, decrease blood volume
Long Term Controls:
Blood Volume decrease volume you decrease BP because there is
less preload on the heart, there is a decrease in venous return so stroke
volume decreases so Q decreases
Aldosterone
Angiotensin II
ADH

Control of Arteriolar Smooth Muscle

Arterioles radius controls resistance
In order to exercise and increase blood flow, resistance must decrease
but not in all blood vessels
Neuronal we can alter sympathetic tone but that affects all blood
vessels, extrinsic effect
Hormonal ANP, but that affects all blood vessels, extrinsic
When leg muscles contracting when walking you release molecules into
extracellular fluid such as H+, K+, CO2 and those molecules cause nearby
blood vessels to dilate