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Selective Destruction of Rat C1 Cells Alters Resting Blood Pressure and Response to Stress
Author(s) -
Stedenfeld Kristen A.,
Sved Alan F.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.21.5.a469-a
Subject(s) - rostral ventrolateral medulla , blood pressure , medicine , catecholamine , heart rate , endocrinology , medulla , sympathetic nervous system , medulla oblongata , central nervous system
It is firmly established that the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) plays an essential role in normal cardiovascular regulation. Within the RVLM, two distinct cell groups exist, the C1 cells that contain enzymes necessary for catecholamine synthesis and non‐C1 cells that do not. Recent studies using a toxin selective for C1 cells suggest that they play an important, but not singular role in normal cardiovascular regulation. In this study we used chronic radiotelemetry recording of arterial blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) to examine the contribution of C1 cells to baseline BP and HR as well as the cardiovascular response to mild restraint stress. Resting BP was significantly reduced by 14±6 mm Hg (n=7, p<0.05 compared to baseline or control rats) three weeks after injection of anti‐DBH‐saporin toxin in the RVLM that destroyed >80% of the RVLM C1 neurons. While mild restraint increased both BP and HR in both lesioned and control groups, the BP response was attenuated in C1‐lesioned rats. These data further support the role of C1 cells in baseline, as well as evoked, cardiovascular responses. (HL55786)