title: Direct injection of substance P-antisense oligonucleotide into the feline NTS modifies the cardiovascular responses to ergoreceptor but not baroreceptor afferent input.
abstract: Substance P (SP) is released from the feline nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) in response to activation of skeletal muscle afferent input. However, there are differing results about SP release from the rostral NTS in response to baroreceptor afferent input. An anti-sense oligonucleotide to feline SP (SP-asODN) was injected directly into the rostral NTS of chloralose-anesthetized cats to determine whether blood pressure or heart rate responses to ergoreceptor activation (muscle contraction) or baroreceptor unloading (carotid artery occlusion) were sensitive to SP knockdown. Control injections included either buffer alone or a scrambled-sequenced oligonucleotide (SP-sODN). Both muscle contractions and carotid occlusions were performed 3, 6 and 12 h after the completion of the oligonucleotide injections. The cardiovascular responses to contractions were significantly attenuated 3 and 6 h after SP-asODN, but not by the injection of the SP-sODN. The cardiovascular responses to contractions returned to control levels 12 h post anti-sense injection. No detectable release of SP (using antibody-coated microprobes) was measured 3 and 6 h after SP-asODN injections and the expression of SP-immunoreactivity (SP-IR) in the NTS was significantly attenuated, as determined by immunohistochemistry procedures. In contrast, neither the injection of SP-asODN nor the s-ODN attenuated the cardiovascular responses to carotid occlusions, or altered the pattern of release of SP from the brainstem. Injection of the SP-sODN did not affect the expression of SP-IR. These results suggest that the SP involved with mediating the peripheral somatomotor signal input to the rostral NTS comes from SP-containing neurons within the NTS. Our results also suggest that SP in the rostral NTS does not play a direct role in mediating the cardiovascular responses to unloading the carotid baroreceptors. We suggest that the SP released during isometric contractions excites an inhibitory pathway modulating baroreceptor input, thus contributing to the increase in mean blood pressure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, P.O. Box 70576, Johnson City, TN 37614, USA. williams@etsu.edu
authors.forename: Carole A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ecay
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reifsteck
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ricketts
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002415:Cats; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000187:drug effects*; D008845:Microinjections; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011311:Pressoreceptors / Q000187:drug effects*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D017552:Solitary Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques; D013373:Substance P / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D015320:Tachykinins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015320:Tachykinins; C044206:preprotachykinin; D013373:Substance P