U.S. scientists discover body's natural alarm to battle blood loss

LOS ANGELES, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Scientists of the University of Virginia (UVA) School of Medicine have discovered a cluster of cells in the brainstem that controls the body's response to severe blood loss, a finding which could benefit efforts to develop new treatments for traumatic injuries.

The discovery pinpoints a collection of neurons that drives a response that maintains blood pressure during blood loss. When the neurons detect blood loss, they increase nerve activity that constricts blood vessels and maintains proper blood pressure.

The new results shed light on an important process the body uses to maintain its blood pressure, according to the study published in the scientific journal Cell Reports.

"During blood loss, the brain coordinates a cardiovascular response that supports blood flow to critical organs, like the heart and brain," said George Souza, researcher of UVA's Department of Pharmacology.

"Our study shows that the cardiovascular response to blood loss depends on changes in the activity of a few hundred neurons in the brainstem," Souza said.