PHYSIOLOGICAL MECHANISMS OF THE BARORECEPTOR REFLECTIVE IN THE CONTROL OF ARTERIAL BLOOD PRESSURE

Abstract

This article comprehensively discusses the physiological mechanisms of the baroreceptor reflex, which plays a leading role in the short-term and rapid control of arterial blood pressure. Baroreceptors are mechanoreceptors sensitive to the stretch of the vascular wall, located mainly in the areas of the carotid sinus and aortic arch. Changes in arterial pressure excite these receptors, and the resulting afferent impulses are transmitted to the Nucleus tractus solitarius in the medulla oblongata via the Glossopharyngeal nerve and the Vagus nerve, respectively. Here, the signals are integrated and an efferent response to the heart and vessels is formed through the autonomic nervous system. The article scientifically analyzes the afferent and efferent pathways of the baroreceptor reflex, the balance of parasympathetic and sympathetic influences, heart rate, cardiac contractility, peripheral vascular tone, and total peripheral resistance. It also explains the compensatory role of the reflex in cases of body position changes, physical exertion, blood loss, hypotension and hypertension. The article substantiates the fact that the baroreceptor reflex is one of the most important neuroreflex mechanisms that stabilizes arterial pressure, which is activated within seconds, and its disruption is a significant factor in the development of cardiovascular pathologies. These data serve as an important theoretical basis for a deeper understanding of the physiology of the cardiovascular system, the correct assessment of clinical conditions and the improvement of treatment strategies