Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 73, Issue 5 1704-1707, Copyright © 1992 by American Physiological Society
Cold wind stimulation reflex
J. LeBlanc and I. Mercier
Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, Canada.
The bradycardia induced by cold wind blown on the face and the early
cephalic release of insulin induced by feeding have been shown to be caused
by a vagal reflex stimulation. An experiment was designed to determine
whether cold wind blown on the face would induce both pancreatic and
cardiac stimulation. A 4 degrees C wind blown on the face for 4 min
produced a rapid and persistent bradycardia, which interestingly persisted
for up to 35 min after the test. The effect on respiration rate is more
gradual and vanishes immediately after cold wind stimulation. Cold wind
produced a slight reduction of insulin secretion, as evidenced by the fall
of both plasma insulin and C-peptide, and caused a significant increase in
plasma norepinephrine. These results suggest that the cold wind action of
the vagus nerve is exerted on the heart and that of the sympathetic on the
pancreas, whereas during the cephalic phase of feeding a vagal influence is
observed on the pancreas and a sympathetic action on the heart. The
mechanisms of the quantitative and qualitative control of these autonomic
responses are not known and deserve further investigation.
