title: Effects of nitric oxide on sympathetic baroreflex transmission in the nucleus tractus solitarii and caudal ventrolateral medulla in cats.
abstract: We have previously shown that nitric oxide (NO) attenuates baseline sympathetic tone in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), while having no effects on baroreflex transmission in this region in cats. In the present study, we tested the effects of microinjections (500 nl) of NG-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 0.3 mM) or the NO donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP, 10 microM) in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and in the caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVLM) which are the two other relays of the sympathetic baroreflex within the brainstem. Neither L-NNA nor SNAP significantly changed the length of inhibition of renal sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) evoked by electrical stimulation of the ipsilateral carotid sinus nerve. In contrast, glutamate (1 mM) in the NTS markedly increased baroreflex inhibition of SNA and the glutamate receptor antagonist kynurenate (5 mM) in the CVLM significantly decreased baroreflex transmission in the same experiments. These results suggest that sympathetic baroreflex function is preserved during both impaired endogenous synthesis and excess exogenous supply of NO in the brainstem.
authors.affiliation: I. Physiologisches Institut, Universität Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zanzinger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Czachurski
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Seller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002346:Carotid Sinus / Q000502:physiology; D002415:Cats; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation; D007736:Kynurenic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000502:physiology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D019335:Nitroarginine; D010396:Penicillamine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019335:Nitroarginine; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D026423:S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D010396:Penicillamine; D007736:Kynurenic Acid