title: Attenuation of cardiovascular reactions of vocalized and non-vocalized defence areas of periaqueductal grey following lesions in dorsomedial or ventrolateral medulla of cats.
abstract: In the pretentorial periaqueductal grey (PAG), the region producing pressor responses, vocalization and other somatic and visceral signs (VPR) of the defence reaction and another region producing pressor responses (PR) were localized by electrical stimulation in adult cats, anesthetized with intraperitoneal chloralose (40 mg/kg) and urethane (400 mg/kg). The pressor responses included increases of systemic arterial pressure (SAP) and heart rate, increases of blood flow in the common carotid and femoral arteries and a decrease of blood flow in the superior mesenteric artery. The VPR was found in a relatively restricted region of the dorsolateral PAG, while PR was found scattered within the dorsal and ventral portions of the lateral PAG. The increase of SAP and the changes of blood flow in the sampled arteries were slightly greater during VPR than PR stimulation. Mild vocalization with a slight increase of SAP but marked increases of carotid and femoral blood flow (vasodilation) could be induced by microinjection of N-methyl D-aspartate (0.2 M, 200 nl) into the VPR and the blood flow increase, particularly that of the femoral artery, was greatly attenuated by atropine (1 mg/kg, i.v.). In order to ascertain the contribution of the medullary pressor areas to the VPR- and PR-induced responses, extensive lesions were made in the dorsomedial (DM) or vetrolateral medulla (VLM) by microinjections of kainic acid (KA, 0.024 M) in 27 of the 42 cats. The resting SAP and blood flow of the three arteries were reduced by lesioning of the VLM more than that of the DM. Responses of SAP and blood flow from activation of the PR and VPR, particularly the latter, were affected more after DM compared to VLM lesioning. These data suggest that, while the pretentorial PAG constitutes the 'defence area,' vocalization is confined exclusively to its dorsolateral region and that both the VLM and DM contribute to the cardiovascular components of defence reactions. The DM appears to have a greater contribution compared to the VLM.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kuo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002415:Cats; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D014628:Vagotomy; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000187:drug effects; D014828:Vocalization, Animal
chemical_list: D001285:Atropine