Glutamate release in midbrain periaqueductal gray by activation of skeletal muscle receptors and arterial baroreceptors

2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (1) ◽  
pp. H137-H144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Li ◽  
Jere H. Mitchell

We have previously reported that both skeletal muscle receptor and arterial baroreceptor afferent inputs activate neurons in the dorsolateral (DL) and lateral regions of the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG). In this study, we determined whether the excitatory amino acid glutamate (Glu) is released to mediate the increased activity in these regions. Static contraction of the triceps surae muscle for 4 min was evoked by electrical stimulation of the L7 and S1 ventral roots in cats. Activation of arterial baroreceptor was induced by intravenous injection of phenylephrine. The endogenous release of Glu from the PAG was recovered with the use of a microdialysis probe. Glu concentration was measured by the HPLC method. Muscle contraction increased mean arterial pressure (MAP) from 98 ± 10 to 149 ± 12 mmHg ( P < 0.05) and increased Glu release in the DL and lateral regions of the middle PAG from 0.39 ± 0.10 to 0.73 ± 0.12 μM (87%, P < 0.05) in intact cats. After sinoaortic denervation and vagotomy were performed, contraction increased MAP from 95 ± 12 to 158 ± 15 mmHg, and Glu from 0.34 ± 0.08 to 0.54 ± 0.10 μM (59%, P < 0.05). The increases in arterial pressure and Glu were abolished by muscle paralysis. Phenylephrine increased MAP from 100 ± 13 to 162 ± 22 mmHg and increased Glu from 0.36 ± 0.10 to 0.59 ± 0.18 μM (64%, P < 0.05) in intact animals. Denervation abolished this Glu increase. Summation of the changes in Glu evoked by muscle receptor and arterial baroreceptor afferent inputs was greater than the increase in Glu produced when both reflexes were activated simultaneously in intact state (123% vs. 87%). These data demonstrate that activation of skeletal muscle receptors evokes release of Glu in the DL and lateral regions of the middle PAG, and convergence of afferent inputs from muscle receptors and arterial baroreceptors in these regions inhibits the release of Glu. These results suggest that the PAG is a neural integrating site for the interaction between the exercise pressor reflex and the arterial baroreceptor reflex.

Physiology ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
PB Persson ◽  
H Ehmke ◽  
R Kirchheim Hartmut

Arterial baroreceptors effectively buffer short-term pressure changes. However, their importance for long-term pressure control appears to be minor. In contrast, cardiopulmonary reflexes cannot sense short-term fluctuations in arterial pressure but may be involved in the long-term regulation. Knowledge of the interaction of both receptor areas may enhance our understanding of blood pressure regulation.


2000 ◽  
Vol 279 (6) ◽  
pp. H2986-H2993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianhua Li ◽  
Jere H. Mitchell

The periaqueductal gray (PAG) of the midbrain is involved in the autonomic regulation of the cardiovascular system. The purpose of this study was to determine if static contraction of the skeletal muscle, which increases arterial blood pressure and heart rate, activates neuronal cells in the PAG by examining Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI). Muscle contraction was induced by electrical stimulation of the L7 and S1 ventral roots of the spinal cord in anesthetized cats. An intravenous infusion of phenylephrine (PE) was used to selectively activate arterial baroreceptors. Extensive FLI was observed within the ventromedial region (VM) of the rostral PAG, the dorsolateral (DL), lateral (L), and ventrolateral (VL) regions of the middle and caudal PAG in barointact animals with muscle contractions, and in barointact animals with PE infusion. However, muscle contraction caused a lesser number of FLI in the VM region of the rostral PAG, the DL, L, and VL regions of the middle PAG and the L and VL regions of the caudal PAG after barodenervation compared with barointact animals. Additionally, the number of FLI in the DL and L regions of the middle PAG was greater in barodenervated animals with muscle contraction than in barodenervated control animals. Thus these results indicated that both muscle receptor and baroreceptor afferent inputs activate neuronal cells in regions of the PAG during muscle contraction. Furthermore, afferents from skeletal muscle activate neurons in specific regions of the PAG independent of arterial baroreceptor input. Therefore, neuronal cells in the PAG may play a role in determining the cardiovascular responses during the exercise pressor reflex.


2004 ◽  
Vol 355 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 73-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Li Gong ◽  
Yung-Tsung Chiu ◽  
Nai-Nu Lin ◽  
Shinn-Zong Lin ◽  
Fu-Chou Cheng ◽  
...  

1990 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shou-Yan Lee ◽  
G. W. Schmid-Scho¨nbein

Although blood flow in the microcirculation of the rat skeletal muscle has negligible inertia forces with very low Reynolds number and Womersley parameter, time-dependent pressure and flow variations can be observed. Such phenomena include, for example, arterial flow overshoot following a step arterial pressure, a gradual arterial pressure reduction for a step flow, or hysteresis between pressure and flow when a pulsatile pressure is applied. Arterial and venous flows do not follow the same time course during such transients. A theoretical analysis is presented for these phenomena using a microvessel with distensible viscoelastic walls and purely viscous flow subject to time variant arterial pressures. The results indicate that the vessel distensibility plays an important role in such time-dependent microvascular flow and the effects are of central physiological importance during normal muscle perfusion. In-vivo whole organ pressure-flow data in the dilated rat gracilis muscle agree in the time course with the theoretical predictions. Hemodynamic impedances of the skeletal muscle microcirculation are investigated for small arterial and venous pressure amplitudes superimposed on an initial steady flow and pressure drop along the vessel.


1986 ◽  
Vol 250 (5) ◽  
pp. H838-H845 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. D. House ◽  
P. C. Johnson

It has been suggested from whole organ studies that the viscosity of blood in skeletal muscle venules varies inversely with flow over physiological flow ranges. If this is the case, the hydrostatic pressure gradient in venules should change less than flow as flow is altered. To test this hypothesis, pressure in venules of cat sartorius muscle was measured during stepwise arterial pressure reduction to 20 mmHg. Large vein pressure remained constant at about 5 mmHg. Average pressures in the large venules (40–185 microns) ranged from 13.6 to 10.0 mmHg. The difference between pressure in these venules and large vein pressure fell in proportion to the reduction in blood pressure and blood flow. Pressures in the smallest venules studied (25 microns) averaged 19.7 +/- 6.2 (SD) mmHg. The pressure difference between the smallest venules and the large vein fell less than the arteriovenous pressure difference or blood flow when arterial pressure was reduced. During reactive hyperemia the pressure gradient between the smallest venules and the large vein rose proportionately less than blood flow. The stability of pressure in the smallest venules is consistent with the hypothesis that blood viscosity varies inversely with flow rate.


1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (6) ◽  
pp. R1998-R2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Kirouac ◽  
J. Ciriello

Extracellular single-unit recording experiments were done in alpha-chloralose-anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated rats to investigate the effect of selective activation of arterial baroreceptors and stimulation of cardiovascular depressor sites in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) on the discharge rate of neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Electrical stimulation of the aortic depressor nerve (ADN), which is known to carry aortic baroreceptor afferent fibers only, excited 12 of 21 (mean onset latency 42.4 +/- 8.8 ms) and inhibited 2 of 21 (mean onset latency 42.5 +/- 6.5 ms) single units in the VTA. The discharge rate of VTA units was also altered during the reflex activation of arterial baroreceptors by the acute rise in arterial pressure (AP) to systemic injections of phenylephrine (10 micrograms/kg i.v.): 12 of 44 units were excited and 15 of 44 were inhibited. Units that responded to either ADN stimulation or the reflex activation of the baroreflex also responded to stimulation of depressor sites in the NTS. An additional 12 units that were found in barodenervated controls to be responsive to NTS stimulation were nonresponsive to selective activation of arterial baroreceptors. These data indicate that cardiovascular afferent inputs modulate the activity of neurons in the VTA and suggest that changes in systemic AP may exert an effect on the activity of neurons involved in mesolimbic and mesocortical function.


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