title: Denervation supersensitivity to glutamate in the nucleus tractus solitarii after removal of the nodose ganglion.
abstract: If L-glutamate (L-Glu) is the transmitter released from cardiovascular vagal afferent nerve fibers in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS), then interruption of those afferents should lead to denervation supersensitivity to L-Glu in the NTS. Therefore, we sought to determine if dose-related changes in arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) elicited by L-Glu microinjected into the NTS evolve after removal of the left nodose ganglion in rats. Twelve rats served as unoperated controls; and eight were studied 5 days, eleven 10 days, and nine 15 days after ganglionectomy. Each rat was anesthetized with halothane (1.5-2.0%) and cannulated for recording AP and HR. After exposure of the brainstem, vehicle or L-Glu (3, 30, 75, 150, 300 and 1500 pmol/50 nl) was microinjected alternately into the right and left dorsomedial NTS. In control animals, and in animals 5 days and 15 days after ganglionectomy, the lowest dose of L-Glu that produced a significant fall of mean AP (-10 +/- 2, -5 +/- 2, -6 +/- 1 mmHg, respectively) was 30 pmoles. The threshold dose with injections on the lesioned side 10 days after ganglionectomy was 3 pmol (-8 +/- 2 mmHg). In rats studied at 10 days, but not in control, 5 or 15 days rats, the dose-responses for injections made on the left were shifted significantly to the left of those made on the right (P < 0.05). In control, 5, and 15 day rats there were no significant differences between dose-related responses elicited from right and left NTS.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Colombari
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Talman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000187:drug effects; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D003714:Denervation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D015171:Ganglionectomy; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000633:toxicity*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008845:Microinjections; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009620:Nodose Ganglion / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017552:Solitary Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid