|
|
||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State University, Hershey, PA, USA
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: hpan{at}psu.edu.
Increased sympathetic outflow contributes to the pathogenesis of hypertension. However, the mechanisms of increased sympathetic drive in hypertension remain unclear. We examined the tonic GABAergic inhibition in control of the excitability of paraventricular (PVN) presympathetic neurons in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive controls, including Sprague-Dawley (SD) and Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) rats. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed on retrogradely labeled PVN neurons projecting to the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) in brain slices. The basal firing rate of PVN neurons was significantly decreased in 13-wk-old SD and WKY rats, but increased in 13-wk-old SHR, compared to their respective 6-wk-old controls. The GABAA antagonist bicuculline consistently increased the firing of PVN neurons in normotensive controls. Surprisingly, bicuculline either decreased the firing or had no effect in 59.3% of labeled cells in 13-wk-old SHR. In contrast, the GABAB antagonist CGP55845 had no effect on the firing of PVN neurons in normotensive controls, but significantly increased the firing of 75% of cells studied in 13-wk-old SHR. Furthermore, the evoked GABAA current was decreased significantly in labeled PVN neurons of 13-wk-old SHR compared with that in normotensive controls. Both the frequency and amplitude of GABAergic sIPSCs were also reduced in 13-wk-old SHR. This study demonstrates an unexpected functional change in GABAA and GABAB receptors in regulation of the firing activity of PVN-RVLM neurons in SHR. This change in GABAA receptor function and GABAergic inputs to PVN output neurons may contribute to increased sympathetic outflow in hypertension.
This article has been cited by other articles:
![]() |
P. M. Sonner, J. A. Filosa, and J. E. Stern Diminished A-type potassium current and altered firing properties in presympathetic PVN neurones in renovascular hypertensive rats J. Physiol., March 15, 2008; 586(6): 1605 - 1622. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
C. Wang, E. Bomberg, C. Billington, A. Levine, and C. M. Kotz Brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus increases energy expenditure by elevating metabolic rate Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, September 1, 2007; 293(3): R992 - R1002. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. B. Park, S. Skalska, S. Son, and J. E. Stern Dual GABAA receptor-mediated inhibition in rat presympathetic paraventricular nucleus neurons J. Physiol., July 15, 2007; 582(2): 539 - 551. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
Q. Chen and H.-L. Pan Signaling Mechanisms of Angiotensin II-Induced Attenuation of GABAergic Input to Hypothalamic Presympathetic Neurons J Neurophysiol, May 1, 2007; 97(5): 3279 - 3287. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
J. H. Jhamandas, F. Simonin, J.-J. Bourguignon, and K. H. Harris Neuropeptide FF and neuropeptide VF inhibit GABAergic neurotransmission in parvocellular neurons of the rat hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, May 1, 2007; 292(5): R1872 - R1880. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
![]() |
D.-P. Li and H.-L. Pan Glutamatergic Inputs in the Hypothalamic Paraventricular Nucleus Maintain Sympathetic Vasomotor Tone in Hypertension Hypertension, April 1, 2007; 49(4): 916 - 925. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF] |
||||
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH |
| Visit Other APS Journals Online |