Stimulation of the rostral ventrolateral medullary neurons increases cortical cerebral blood flow via activation of the intracerebral neural pathway.
In urethane-anesthetized, artificially ventilated rats, electrical or chemical (by L-glutamate) focal stimulations of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) produced an increase in cortical cerebral blood flow (CBF). The RVLM-induced cortical vasodilative response was present in animals with spinal cords sectioned at levels of Th3-4 and with bilateral extracerebral cervical sympathetic trunks (CSTs) severed. The RVLM-induced cortical vasodilative response was totally eliminated by an alpha 2 adrenergic blocker, but not by blockers for muscarinic, nicotinic, alpha 1 and beta receptors. It was concluded that there is an intracerebral vasodilative neural pathway including an alpha 2 adrenergic receptor originating in the RVLM for regulation of cortical blood vessels.
Saeki
Y
Y
Department of Physiology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Japan.
Sato
A
A
Sato
Y
Y
Trzebski
A
A
D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha / Q000502:physiology*
D011942:Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha; D011224:Prazosin