# Temporal effects of inflammation on the autonomic control of circulation during exercise in type 2 diabetic rats

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · 2021 · $430,662

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
A reflex arising from the contraction of hindlimb skeletal muscles is an important neural mechanism that is
responsible for the cardiovascular adjustments to exercise. These adjustments, which include increases in
peripheral vascular resistance, cardiac contractility and heart rate, function to increase arterial blood flow and
oxygen to the exercising muscles, and in turn support their ability to contract. This neural mechanism has been
named the exercise pressor reflex, and its afferent arm is comprised of group III and IV afferents whose endings
are located in and near the muscle interstitium. Group III and IV afferents are commonly affected by diabetes
which often results in peripheral neuropathy causing a range of problems from allodynia to hyperalgesia to
hypoalgesia as the disease progresses. Chronic inflammation is one of the known mechanisms for peripheral
neuropathy, directly affecting group III and IV afferents, and is present in diabetes, aging, and cardiovascular
disease. The overall goal of the experiments proposed is to shed light on the role of pro-inflammatory cytokines
on the exercise pressor reflex as diabetes progresses. In the proposed experiments, we will pay particular
attention to two important pro-inflammatory cytokines known to be upregulated in diabetics and those with
cardiovascular disease, namely interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and interleukin 6 (IL-6). We will also pay particular
attention to two important anti-inflammatory cytokines known to be downregulated in diabetics and those with
cardiovascular disease, namely interleukin 10 (IL-10), and interleukin 4 (IL-4).We will examine in decerebrated,
unanesthetized rats the pressor, cardioaccelerator, and sympathetic activity responses to static and intermittent
contraction both before and during pharmacological blockade of the cytokine receptors. The proposed
experiments will also quantify the potential up-regulation or down-regulation of these circulating cytokines using
serum samples in multiplex assays. We anticipate that these experiments will provide new information about the
role of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the progression of diabetes on the autonomic control of circulation
during exercise.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10075970
- **Project number:** 5R01HL144723-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- **Principal Investigator:** Audrey J Stone
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $430,662
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-01-01 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10075970

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10075970, Temporal effects of inflammation on the autonomic control of circulation during exercise in type 2 diabetic rats (5R01HL144723-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10075970. Licensed CC0.

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