baroréceptrice

Baroréceptrice is the feminine form of barorécepteur, a mechanosensitive nerve ending that detects arterial blood pressure by sensing stretch of the vessel wall. In standard French physiology, the masculine term barorécepteur is most commonly used; baroréceptrice may appear in some texts as a gendered variant.

Baroreceptors are located primarily in the walls of the carotid sinus and the aortic arch. They are encapsulated nerve endings linked to afferent fibers of the glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) from the carotid sinus and the vagus nerve (CN X) from the aortic arch.

Functionally, an increase in arterial pressure stretches the baroreceptors more and increases their firing rate, while a decrease in pressure reduces firing. Afferent signals are conveyed to the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in the medulla, where they are integrated with other autonomic inputs to adjust output.

The reflex arc involves changes in autonomic tone: higher pressure leads to reduced sympathetic activity and enhanced parasympathetic influence, producing a slower heart rate and vasodilation; lower pressure elicits the opposite response. The baroreceptor reflex acts as a rapid, short-term regulator of blood pressure, with sensitivity that varies with age, posture, and health status.

Clinical relevance includes impaired baroreceptor function in hypertension, heart failure, and autonomic disorders. Therapeutic approaches include baroreflex activation therapy, which electrically stimulates baroreceptors to help reduce blood pressure in resistant hypertension.

Terminology note: although baroréceptrice is understandable, most scientific literature uses barorécepteur; baroréceptrice is rarely employed outside didactic or gender-specific contexts.