Sinoaortic denervation (SAD) is accompanied by an increase in blood pressure (BP) and a reduction in pulse-interval (PI) variance. Little is known, however, about the effect of SAD on the complex BP and PI variability pattern, which is identified by spectral analysis. In nine unanesthetized cats in which intra-arterial BP was monitored before and 7-10 days after SAD, spectral powers (estimated by fast Fourier transform) were calculated for the low frequency (LF, 0.025-0.07 Hz), midfrequency (MF, 0.07-0.14 Hz), and high frequency (HF, 0.14-0.60 Hz) band. The very low frequency (VLF) BP and PI components (VLF less than 0.025 Hz) were also estimated. SAD increased systolic BP variance and decreased PI variance. The reduction of PI variance was paralleled by significant and marked reductions in all PI powers including the VLF components. In contrast, the increase in systolic BP variance was accompanied by a marked increase in LF power, a decrease in MF power, and no change in HF power. The VLF BP components increased after SAD for frequencies between 0.025 and 0.0012 Hz, whereas a sudden marked reduction was observed below 0.0012 Hz. Similar results were obtained for diastolic BP powers. Thus the reduction in PI variance induced by SAD is paralleled by a reduction in all PI fluctuations identified by spectral analysis. This is not the case for the SAD-related increase in BP variance, which is accompanied by an increase, no change, or even a reduction in the different BP spectral components.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)