Tzu Chi Medical Journal
Volume 20, Issue 4 , Pages 243-247, December 2008

The Sympathoexcitatory Pathway from the CVL to the RVL for Controlling Brain Vessels

Department of Physiology, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, Wakayama, Japan

Received 3 July 2008; received in revised form 25 July 2008; accepted 15 August 2008.

Article Outline

Abstract 

We reported a regional differentiation of blood flow responses during the activation of the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and caudal ventrolateral medullary depressor area (CVL). The neurons in the NTS and CVL have a vasoconstrictor effect on brain circulation and a vasodilator effect on systemic circulation. On the other hand, the neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medullary pressor area (RVL) have a vasoconstrictor effect on both brain and systemic circulation. We therefore hypothesized that there is a sympathoexcitatory pathway from the CVL to the RVL for controlling cerebral vessels and a sympathoinhibitory pathway from the CVL to the RVL for controlling systemic vessels, and that these different roles of the pathways from the CVL to the RVL for the different organs can explain the regional difference in sympathetic nerve activities. Here, we propose a sympathoexcitatory pathway from the CVL to the RVL for controlling brain vessels.

Keywords:  Caudal ventrolateral medulla (CVL) , Cerebral circulation , Regional difference of the sympathetic nerve activities , Rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL) , Sympathoexcitatory pathway from the CVL to the RVL

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.

 

Back to Article Outline

References 

  1. Walther OE , Iriki M , Simon E . Antagonistic changes of blood flow and sympathetic activity in different vascular beds following central thermal stimulation. II. Cutaneous and visceral sympathetic activity during spinal cord heating and cooling in anesthetized rabbits and cats . Pfluegers Arch . 1970;319:162–184
  2. Ninomiya I , Nisimaru N , Irisawa H . Sympathetic nerve activity to the spleen, kidney, and heart in response to baroceptor input . Am J Physiol . 1971;221:1346–1351
  3. Ninomiya I , Irisawa A , Nisimaru N . Nonuniformity of sympathetic nerve activity to the skin and kidney . Am J Physiol . 1973;224:256–264
  4. Maeda M , Nakai M , Krieger AJ , Sapru HN . Chemical stimulation of the nucleus tractus solitarii decreases cerebral blood flow in anesthetized rats . Brain Res . 1990;520:255–261
  5. Maeda M , Krieger AJ , Sapru HN . Chemical stimulation of the ventrolateral medullary depressor area decreases ipsilateral cerebral blood flow in anesthetized rats . Brain Res . 1991;543:61–68
  6. Inoue M , Maeda M , Takao S . Regional differentiation of blood flow responses to microinjection of sodium nitroprusside into the nucleus tractus solitarius of anesthetized rats . J Auton Nerv Syst . 1997;63:172–178
  7. Maeda M , Inoue M , Sapru HN , et al.   Chemical stimulation of the nucleus tractus solitarii decreases spinal cord blood flow in anesthetized rats . Neurosci Lett . 1995;185:111–114
  8. Maeda M , Krieger AJ , Nakai M , Sapru HN . Chemical stimulation of the rostral ventrolateral medullary pressor area decreases cerebral blood flow in anesthetized rats . Brain Res . 1991;563:261–269
  9. Maeda M , Inoue M , Sapru HN , et al.   Caudal ventrolateral medullary depressor area controls cerebral circulation via rostral ventrolateral medullary pressor area . Pfluegers Arch . 1994;427:556–558
  10. Maeda M , Nakai M , Sapru HN , et al.   Cerebral vasoconstrictive response produced by chemical stimulation of the caudal ventrolateral medullary depressor area is mediated via the rostral ventrolateral medullary pressor area and the cervical sympathetic nerves . J Auton Nerv Syst . 1994;49(Suppl):S25–S29
  11. Maeda M , Duelli R , Schroeck H , Kuschinsky W . Autoradiographic determination of local cerebral blood flow and local cerebral glucose utilization during chemical stimulation of the nucleus tractus solitarii of anesthetized rats . J Auton Nerv Syst . 1998;69:132–140
  12. Maeda M . Brain blood flow regulation of the brainstem (Review) . J UOEH . 1994;16:227–251
  13. Maeda M , Inoue M , Takao S , Nakai M . Central control mechanisms of circulation in the medulla oblongata by nitric oxide (Review) . Jpn J Physiol . 1999;49:467–478
  14. Ishitsuka T , Iadecola C , Underwood MD , Reis DJ . Lesions of nucleus tractus solitarii globally impair cerebrovascular autoregulation . Am J Physiol . 1986;251:H269–H281
  15. Guyton AC . In: Textbook of Medical Physiology . 7th edition. Philadelphia: WB Saunders; 1986;p. 1057
  16. Kirchheim HR . Baroreceptor regulation of renal function . In:  Persson PB ,  Kirchheim HR editor. Baroreceptor Reflexes. Integrative Functions and Clinical Aspects . Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag; 1991;p. 181–208
  17. Miki K , Hayashida Y , Sagawa S , et al.   Renal sympathetic nerve activity and natriuresis during water immersion in conscious dogs . Am J Physiol . 1989;256:R299–R305
  18. Vander AJ . In: Renal Physiology . 5th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill; 1995;p. 238
  19. Sapru HN . Colinergic mechanisms subserving cardiovascular function in the medulla and spinal cord . Prog Brain Res . 1989;81:171–179
  20. Dampney RA . Functional organization of central pathways regulating the cardiovascular system . Physiol Rev . 1994;74:323–364
  21. Blessing WW . In: The Lower Brainstem and Bodily Homeostasis . New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1997;p. 575

PII: S1016-3190(08)60046-4

doi:10.1016/S1016-3190(08)60046-4

Tzu Chi Medical Journal
Volume 20, Issue 4 , Pages 243-247, December 2008

Article Tools