Tonic Glutamatergic Input in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla Is Increased in Rats With Chronic Heart Failure

Wei-Zhong Wang, Lie Gao, Han-Jun Wang, Irving H. Zucker, Wei Wang Hypertension.2009; 53: 370-374 Published online before print November 24, 2008, doi: 10.1161/​HYPERTENSIONAHA.108.122598 This article wanted to investigate the role of glutate receptors in CHF. In order to show that glutamatergic inputs are responsible for the elevated sympathetic outflow in CHF, they bilateral injected kyn, NMDA and non-NMDA reaceptor anatoginist. they recorded BP, renal sympathetic nerve activity and the also recorded. They also recorded the activity of the RVLM neurons themselves. They found that they was no significant difference in the sham rats from baseline responses for BP rSNA and neuronal aactivity in RVLM in response to kyn, and NMDA and non NMDA receptor antagonists. however. in the CHF rat they found that the was a difference in the response when compared to baseline for BP, rSNA and rvlm neuronal activity to kyn and NMDA antagonist. These data suggest that the elevated sympathetic outflow in CHF is mostly mediated by glutamergic input through the NMDA receptor.-MD