Studying the mechanism of heart rate slowing down after birth by the method of HRV power spectrum analysis / 中国应用生理学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>AIM</b>To explore the neurological mechanism of heart rate slowing down after birth and to investigate if the heart itself participates in the process.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>With the method of HRV power spectrum analysis, the regulatory mechanisms of autonomic nerves over heart rate were studied on different age groups of human beings and rabbits. Similar experiments were carried out on isolated perfused rabbit hearts in order to study if the heart itself were involved in the process of heart rate slowing down as they grew up.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The ratio of parasympathetic tone to sympathetic one is significantly increased as a child or rabbit grows up while the heart rate becomes slower. The spontaneous beating of isolated rabbit heart also slows down as the rabbit becomes older.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Both of the nerve factor and heart itself are involved in the process of slowing down of heart rate as a child grows up.</p>