title: The medullary cerebrovascular vasodilator area mediates cerebrovascular vasodilation and electroencephalogram synchronization elicited from cerebellar fastigial nucleus in Sprague-Dawley rats.
abstract: We investigated whether the medullary cerebrovasodilator area (MCVA), a region of ventral medulla mediating elevations of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and electroencephalogram (EEG) synchronization elicited in cerebral cortex from stimulation of reticulospinal neurons of rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), also mediates comparable responses from the cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN). In spinalized rats, electrical stimulation of MCVA, RVLM or FN elevated rCBF and synchronized the EEG. The FN-evoked responses were significantly attenuated or blocked by bilateral lesions of MCVA. The MCVA is a novel region of medullary reticular formation mediating actions of medullary and cerebellar centers on rCBF and EEG to link visceral centers of brainstem and cerebral cortex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Division of Neurobiology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, 411 East 69th Street, KB 410, NY 10021, USA. egolano@mail.med.cornell.edu
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Golanov
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Reis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002529:Cerebellar Nuclei / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D003344:Cortical Synchronization / Q000379:methods*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D004572:Electrolysis; D020646:Intralaminar Thalamic Nuclei / Q000098:blood supply; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*