Kainic acid injection in NTS evokes hypertension and c-fos expression in spinal cord.
Kainic acid injected into rat nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) caused a slowly developing hypertension, with a 2-fold increase in Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-IR) nuclei in the area of the presympathetic bulbospinal neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and a widespread activation of sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPN) in the spinal cord, particularly in the mid to lower thoracic cord. The highest segmental concentration of Fos-IR SPN was in T8, with Fos-IR nuclei increased 12-fold compared with the vehicle injected group. More than 60% of retrogradely labelled sympathoadrenal neurons in T8 were Fos-IR after kainic acid injection, consistent with the 60-fold increases in plasma adrenaline levels observed in these rats.
Minson
J
J
Department of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park.
Kapoor
V
V
Llewellyn-Smith
I
I
Pilowsky
P
P
Chalmers
J
J
D000818:Animals; D001339:Autonomic Fibers, Preganglionic / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000097:blood; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D016762:Genes, fos / Q000235:genetics*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007267:Injections; D007608:Kainic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects*
D002395:Catecholamines; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D007608:Kainic Acid