GABAergic responses in ventrolateral medulla in spontaneously hypertensive rats

J. KEVIN SMITH AND KIRK W. BARRON

The RVLM is important for the tonic and phasic control of BP. We that the activity of these neurons is modulated by neurotransmitters. However in certain disease states the neutromitters like glutamate and GABA may have alltered effects on RVLM neurons. The RVLM receives inhibitory input from the CVLM. The purpose of this study was to dertemine whether GABAergic transmision was altered in response to hypertensive conditions. In WKYs and SHR rats GABA was injected into the RVLM. They found that the change in BP were signignantly greater in SHR compared to the WKYs. However when they  gave bicuculline into the RVLM they found that the SHR have attenuted responses compared WKYs. Finally they inhibited the CVLM to and found that the SHRs had an attentuated response compared to the WKYs. However the sensitivity to GABA in the SHR is greater compared to WKYs. These data suggest that the SHR have decrease gababergic input from CVLM compared to WKYs. This may be one potential cause for the developmentment of hypertension. 

 

-MD