We investigated the frequency components of fluctuations in heart rate, arterial pressure, respiration, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) in 11 healthy women using an autoregressive model and examined the relation among variables using Akaike's relative power contribution analysis with multivariate autoregressive model fitting. Power spectral analysis of MSNA revealed two peaks, with low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) components. The LF component of MSNA was a major determinant of the LF component of arterial pressure and R-R interval variability (0.70 +/- 0.07 and 0.18 +/- 0.05, respectively). The effect of the LF component of MSNA on arterial pressure showed no change in response to propranolol but was diminished (0.35 +/- 0.08) by phentolamine (P < 0.02). The effect of the LF component of MSNA on R-R interval was not altered by pharmacological sympathetic nerve blockade. The HF component of MSNA did not influence other variables but was influenced by R-R interval, arterial pressure, and respiration. These findings indicate that the LF component of MSNA reflects autonomic oscillations, whereas the HF component is passive and influenced by other cardiovascular variables.