Elevated large-artery stiffness is recognized as an independent predictor of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. The mechanisms responsible for such stiffening are incompletely understood. Several recent cross-sectional and acute experimental studies have examined whether sympathetic outflow, quantified by microneurographic measures of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), can modulate large-artery stiffness in humans. A major methodological challenge of this research has been the capacity to evaluate the independent neural contribution without influencing the dynamic blood pressure-dependency of arterial stiffness. The focus of this review will be to summarize the evidence examining: 1) the relationship between resting MSNA and large-artery stiffness, as determined by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity or pulse wave reflection characteristics (i.e. augmentation index), in men and women; 2) the effects of acute sympathoexcitatory or sympathoinhibitory maneuvers on carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity and augmentation index; and 3) the influence of sustained increases or decreases in sympathetic neurotransmitter release or circulating catecholamines on large-artery stiffness. The present results highlight the growing evidence that the sympathetic nervous system is capable of modulating arterial stiffness independently of prevailing hemodynamics and vasomotor tone.

中文翻译：

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人体动脉硬化的交感神经调节

大动脉僵硬度升高被认为是心血管和全因死亡率的独立预测因子。导致这种硬化的机制尚未完全理解。最近的几项横断面和急性实验研究已经检查了交感神经流出是否可以调节人的大动脉僵硬度，而交感神经流出是通过对肌肉交感神经活动（MSNA）的微神经造影测量来量化的。这项研究的主要方法挑战是评估独立神经贡献的能力，而又不影响动脉僵硬度的动态血压依赖性。这篇综述的重点将是总结检查的证据：1）静息MSNA与大动脉僵硬度之间的关系，由男性和女性的颈股脉搏波速度或脉搏波反射特征（即增强指数）确定；2）急性交感兴奋或抑制交感动作对颈股脉搏波速度和增强指数的影响；3）交感神经递质释放的持续增加或减少或循环儿茶酚胺对大动脉僵硬度的影响。目前的结果凸显了越来越多的证据表明交感神经系统能够独立于主要的血液动力学和血管舒缩张力来调节动脉僵硬度。3）交感神经递质释放的持续增加或减少或循环儿茶酚胺对大动脉僵硬度的影响。目前的结果凸显了越来越多的证据表明交感神经系统能够独立于主要的血液动力学和血管舒缩张力来调节动脉僵硬度。3）交感神经递质释放的持续增加或减少或循环儿茶酚胺对大动脉僵硬度的影响。目前的结果凸显了越来越多的证据表明交感神经系统能够独立于主要的血液动力学和血管舒缩张力来调节动脉僵硬度。