title: Transneuronal tracing of central autonomic regions involved in cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex in rats.
abstract: Stimulation of cardiac afferents (CA) increased sympathetic outflow and blood pressure. The goal of the current study is to determine the central autonomic nuclei involved in the regulation of cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex (CSAR) which has been proved in previously functional studies. Neuroanatomical method and pseudorabies virus (PRV) transynaptic retrograde trace technique will be performed to investigate the relationship between kidney and heart and the temporal order of the most PRV-labeled neurons in the central nervous system. Recombinant PRV expressing enhanced green fluorescence protein (EGFP) was injected into the left kidney of rats as a specific trans-synaptic retrograde tracer in neurons. After 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9 days, brain, spinal cord and heart were collected for immunofluorescence staining. The temporal order of PRV labeled neurons was found in the ipsilateral intermediolateral nucleus (IML) of T8-T12 spinal segments on day 3; bilateral rostroventrolateral medulla (RVLM), paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) on day 4; and left and right ventricular walls and ventricular septum of the heart on day 9. In rats with renal denervation, no PRV-infected neurons or cardiomyocytes were found after PRV injection. In conclusion, PRV trans-synaptic retrograde trace confirms that CA, NTS, PVN, RVLM, IML and renal nerves do exist to be involved in the regulation of CSAR and there is a close relationship between heart and kidney. CA is mainly located in the left ventricular wall, right ventricular wall and ventricular septum.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Molecular Intervention, Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Molecular Intervention, Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Molecular Intervention, Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Jian
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Molecular Intervention, Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Tong-Yan
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Molecular Intervention, Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Cardiovascular Research Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an 710061, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Ming
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Molecular Intervention, Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China.
authors.forename: Guo-Qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Molecular Intervention, Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, China. Electronic address: zhouyebo666@njmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ye-Bo
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation*; D011558:Herpesvirus 1, Suid; D007668:Kidney / Q000294:innervation; D008297:Male; D056347:Neuroanatomical Tract-Tracing Techniques; D051381:Rats; D012018:Reflex; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Autoniomc nuclei; Cardiac afferents; Pseudorabies virus; Sympathetic outflow; Transneuronal tracing