Sympathoinhibitory pathway from caudal midline medulla to RVLM is independent of baroreceptor reflex pathway

J. R. Potas, R. A L Dampney*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Glutamate stimulation of the caudal midline medulla (CMM) causes profound sympathoinhibition due to GABAergic inhibition of presympathetic neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). We investigated whether the sympatho-inhibitory pathway from CMM to RVLM, like the central baroreceptor reflex pathway, includes a glutamatergic synapse in the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM). In pentobarbital sodium-anesthetized rats, the RVLM on one side was inhibited by a muscimol microinjection. Then the response evoked by glutamate microinjections into the CMM or by baroreceptor stimulation was determined before and after 1) microinjection of the GABA receptor antagonist bicuculline into the RVLM on the other side or 2) microinjections of the glutamate receptor antagonist kynurenate bilaterally into the CVLM. Bicuculline in the RVLM greatly reduced both CMM- and baroreceptor-evoked sympathoinhibition. Compared with the effect of vehicle solution, kynurenate in the CVLM greatly reduced baroreceptor-evoked sympathoinhibition, whereas its effect on CMM-evoked sympathoinhibition was not different from that of the vehicle solution. These findings indicate that the output pathway from CMM sympathoinhibitory neurons, unlike the baroreceptor and other reflex sympathoinhibitory pathways, does not include a glutamatergic synapse in the CVLM.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)R1071-R1078
Number of pages8
JournalAmerican Journal of Physiology - Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology
Volume284
Issue number4 53-4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Apr 2003
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Caudal ventrolateral medulla
  • Central cardiovascular pathways
  • Glutamatergic neurotransmission
  • Sympathoexcitatory neurons

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