LECTURE16:AUTONOMICANDNEUROENDOCRINESYSTEMS

REQUIREDREADING:Kandeltext,Chapter49
Autonomic nervous system mediates visceral reflex
responses that are involuntary and largely unconscious
Autonomic nervous system consists of:
1)

Motor neurons which act on smooth muscle, cardiac

muscle, and exocrine glands

2)

Preganglionic CNS neurons whose axons synapse on

these motor neurons

3)

Visceral sensory neurons

4)

Branches and subsets of external-sensing neurons

(including somatosensory , olfactory, and retinal)

nicotinic
receptors

Autonomic postganglionic neurons release neurotransmitters

which act through metabotropic receptors on target
cells
Autonomic responses are coordinated with one another and
with behavioral responses and emotions through the
hypothalamus in the CNS

always
cholinergic

cholinergic
or
adrenergic
muscarinic
or
adrenergic
receptors

EXAMPLESOFAUTONOMICFUNCTION

Regulation of heartbeat rate

Regulation of vascular constriction/dilation
Pupil and lens ocular reflexes
Exocrine gland secretion
Glucose mobilization
Sweating and hair follicle erection
Bladder filling and emptying
Sexual responses
Alimentary and bronchial reflexes
Gut peristalsis

THREEDIVISIONSOFTHEAUTONOMICNERVOUSSYSTEM
Sympathetic nervous system
Sympathetic system controls visceral responses that prepare the body for rapid, intense activity,
often refered to as FIGHT-OR-FLIGHT REACTION.
Responses include accelerated heartbeat, central artery constriction, peripheral vascular dilation,
liver glycogen metabolism, & rapid breathing.
Other sympathetic responses also work in balance with countering parasympathetic responses
to maintain body homeostasis (counteraction to body stress).
Parasympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic responses sometimes refered to as the REST-AND-DIGEST STATE.
Almost all visceral targets receive both sympathetic & parasympathetic neuronal inputs.
Enteric nervous system
Enteric neurons form plexuses that surround and extend along the length of the gut, including
stomach, small and large intestines.
Enteric system activate coordinated contraction of smooth muscles to cause peristaltic
constriction of the gut.
Most of enteric nervous system functions independently of higher CNS control.

ANATOMYOFSYMPATHETIC&PARASYMPATHETICNERVOUSSYSTEM

Most SYMPATHETIC
postganglionic neurons are
adrenergic
(release E or NE)
Most PARASYMPATHETIC
postganglionic neurons are
cholingeric

Site of spinal cord lesion injury can be rapidly assessed by surveying damaged and surviving autonomic reflex responses

ANATOMYOFSYMPATHETIC&PARASYMPATHETICNERVOUSSYSTEM

Generalized FIGHT response

mediated by sympathetic
activation of the adrenal gland,
triggering epinephrine
secretion into circulation

ANATOMYOFENTERICNERVOUSSYSTEM

SENSORIMOTORCONNECTIONSINENTERICNERVOUSSYSTEM
AREPREDOMINANTLYLOCAL

A local circuitry drives peristalsis

in the intestines
Pressure-sensing neuron senses gut distension

PERISTALSIS

Acts through interneurons to activate enteric

motor neurons with axons projecting rostrally
causing squeezing of circular muscle behind the distension
Simultaneous inhibition of other motor neurons
with axons projecting caudally relaxes downstream
circular muscle
FOOD
DISTENSION

PRESSURE SENSING NEURON

CIRCULAR MUSCLE
MOTOR NEURONS

POSTGANGLIONICNEUROTRANSMISSIONLACKSTYPICAL
PREANDPOSTSYNAPTICSPECIALIZATIONS
Post-ganglionic neurons axon terminal lacks clear-vesicle docking machinery.
Multiple axonal swellings (varicosities) are sites of neurotransmitter vesicle accumulation.
Post-synaptic target (smooth muscle, gland, etc.) lacks post-synaptic density.
Target cell neurotransmitter receptors are broadly distributed on surface.
Released neurotransmitter acts diffusely over distances up to 1 mm.
Highly branched axons with multiple varicosities enable post-ganglionic neuron
to act upon many cells in the target structure.

DIFFUSETRANSMISSIONFROMGANGLIONICAXONSFACILITATED
DISCOVERYOFTHEFIRSTCHEMICALNEUROTRANSMITTER
Parasympathetic vagus nerve activity slows heartbeat rate,
while sympathetic accelerator nerve activity speeds heartbeat rate
TWOBEATINGFROGHEARTSDISSECTEDANDMAINTAINEDINSMALLVOLUMESOLUTION;
HEART#1DISSECTEDWITHINNERVATINGNERVESATTACHED
HEART#2DISSECTEDWITHOUTNERVES
Stimulation of vagal nerve slowed beating of heart #1
After stimulation, transfer of heart #1s bathing solution to heart #2 slowed its beating
Stimulation of accelerator nerve speeds beating of heart #1
After stimulation, transfer of heart #1s solution to heart #2 sped its beating
THEREFORE, NERVE-INDUCED CARDIAC RESPONSES ARE THROUGH
SECRETED CHEMICAL NEUROTRANSMITTERS
(Vagal transmitter later shown to be ACh, accelerator transmitter is NE)

MECHANISMSOFAUTONOMICMODULATIONOFCARDIACFUNCTION
Parasympathetic release of acetylcholine reduces cardiac output in two ways
1)

Muscarinic generation of G directly activates a potassium channel (GIRK) in pacemaker

cardiocytes, which slows their depolarization and rate of heartbeat.

2)

Muscarinic generation of G i in heart muscle lowers cAMP and PKA levels, causing
reduced opening of L-type calcium channels, thereby reducing force of heart contraction.

Sympathetic release of norepinephrine increases cardiac output in two ways

1-adrenergic generation of Gs in

1-adrenergic elevation of cAMP and PKA in heart muscle increases opening of L-type

pacemaker cardiocytes elevates cAMP and PKA levels,

which reduces the threshold voltage for action potential initiation, thereby increasing
rate of heartbeat.
calcium channels, thereby increasing force of heart contraction.

SENSORYINPUTSTOAUTONOMICFUNCTION
Our bodies sense deleterious changes and undertake automatic responses
to maintain homeostasis.
Sensory inputs eliciting autonomic responses include:
1)

External sensations which trigger corrective reflexes

Examples: a) Ocular reflexes -- pupil dilation or constriction in response to light,

lens stretching to adjust focus
http://library.med.utah.edu/kw/hyperbrain/anim/reflex.html

b) Painful laceration -- vasoconstriction to limit blood loss

sympathetic activation of coordinated fight/flight responses
2)

Visceral sensations induce homeostatic responses

Examples:
a) Opposing sympathetic/parasympathetic control of heartbeat and blood pressure -If sympathetic activity drives heartbeat and artery constriction too much,
pressure-sensitive sensory afferents in the aorta trigger the baroreceptor reflex,
which includes parasympathetic vagal input to heart and induction of
arterial dilation

http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072507470/student_view0/chapter21/animation__baroreceptor_reflex_control_of_blood_pressure.html

Reciprocally, pressure-sensitive sensory afferents in the cardiac right atriam sense distention
triggering the right atrial reflex, by which sympathetic accerelerator nerve firing speeds rate
b)

Irritants to oronasal cavities act through parasympathetic ganglia

to trigger nasal and lacrimal glandular secretions

PREGANGLIONICFIBERSRELEASESMALLMOLECULEANDPEPTIDE
NEUROTRANSMITTERSTOELICITCOMPLEXGANGLIONICNEURONRESPONSES

Single or low-frequency preganglionic firing releases Ach which activates nicotinic

receptors triggering fast EPSP in postganglionic neuron.
High-frequency stimulation releases more Ach and LHRH peptide. The complex
postganglionic response consists of fast EPSP, slow IPSP mediated by
muscarinic receptor activation of GIRKs, and delayed EPSP resulting
from LHRH binding to peptidergic receptors.

SENSORYPATHWAYSOFSYMPATHETICANDPARASYMPATHETICSYSTEMS
PASSLOOPTHROUGHBRAINSTEM,BUTALSOPROJECTTOCONSCIOUSCORTICALAREAS
ASCENDING VISCERAL
SENSORY PATHWAYS

DESCENDING AUTONOMIC
RESPONSE PATHWAYS

HYPOTHALAMUSCOORDINATESPHYSIOLOGYANDBEHAVIOR
INRESPONSETOVISCERALSENSORYINPUTS
EXAMPLE: BLOOD OSMOLARITY HOMEOSTASIS

VISCERAL SENSORY INPUTS

Blood pressure
Blood osmolarity

HYPOTHALAMUS COORDINATED OUTPUTS

Autonomic -- action on smooth muscles in central and peripheral vasculature
Behavioral -- conscious thirst which drives search for fluid intake
Endocrine -- secretion of vasopressin into blood, which promotes water
resorption by kidneys

HYPOTHALAMUSCONTROLSHORMONERELEASEFROMPITUITARYGLAND
BOTHDIRECTLYANDINDIRECTLY