“…Mechanically sensitive afferent fibres from muscle can be excited by passive muscle stretch, eliciting a rise in blood pressure and heart rate with little or no stimulation of the metabolically sensitive afferents (Kaufman & Rybicki, 1987;Stebbins, Brown, Levin & Longhurst, 1988 (Wilson, Wall, Matsukawa & Mitchell, 1992 (Spague & Ha, 1964;Imai & Kusama, 1969;Wall & Werman, 1976;Brown & Culberson, 1981;McNeil, Westlund & Coggeshall, 1989). In addition, we have shown that NMDA receptors in levels of the spinal cord adjacent to the L7 region are involved in the pressor response to muscle contraction and stretch (Hand et al 1996).…”