Nitric oxide is an excitatory modulator in the rostral ventrolateral medulla in rats

• Published in: American journal of hypertension Vol. 13; no. 10; pp. 1125 - 1134
• Main Authors: Morimoto, Satoshi, Sasaki, Susumu, Miki, Shigeyuki, Kawa, Tetsuyoshi, Nakamura, Kazue, Itoh, Hiroshi, Nakata, Tetsuo, Takeda, Kazuo, Nakagawa, Masao, Fushiki, Shinji
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.10.2000; Oxford University Press; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; arterial pressure; Biological and medical sciences; c- fos; cyclic GMP; Cyclic GMP - agonists; Cyclic GMP - analogs & derivatives; Cyclic GMP - metabolism; Cyclic GMP - pharmacology; Enzyme Inhibitors - pharmacology; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - pharmacology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Guanylate Cyclase - antagonists & inhibitors; Hemodynamics. Rheology; Male; Medulla Oblongata - drug effects; Medulla Oblongata - physiology; Methylene Blue - pharmacology; Neurons - drug effects; Neurons - physiology; NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester - pharmacology; nitric oxide; Nitric Oxide - physiology; Nitric Oxide Donors - pharmacology; Nitric Oxide Synthase - antagonists & inhibitors; Nitroarginine - pharmacology; Nitroprusside - pharmacology; Oligonucleotides, Antisense - pharmacology; Prodrugs - pharmacology; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos - genetics; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Receptors, Glutamate - physiology; Rostral ventrolateral medulla; Solubility; Vertebrates: cardiovascular system; nitric oxide; arterial pressure; c- fos; Rostral ventrolateral medulla; cyclic GMP; c; Rat; Rodentia; Central nervous system; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Animal; Nitric oxide; Arterial pressure; Medulla oblongata; Circulatory system; Biological effect; Mechanism of action; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0895-7061; 1879-1905; 1941-7225
• DOI: 10.1016/S0895-7061(00)01182-1

Nitric oxide is a messenger molecule having various functions in the brain. Previous studies have reported conflicting results for the roles of nitric oxide in the rostral ventrolateral medulla, a major center that regulates sympathetic and cardiovascular activities. We hypothesized that in this region, nitric oxide may have a biphasic effect on cardiovascular activity. Microinjection of a low dose (1 nmol) of a nitric oxide donor sodium nitroprusside or a cyclic GMP agonist 8-bromo-cyclic GMP into this area increased arterial pressure, whereas injection of a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N ω-nitro- l-arginine methyl ester or a soluble guanylate cyclase inhibitor methylene blue decreased arterial pressure. Microinjection of a high dose (100 nmol) of sodium nitroprusside decreased arterial pressure and inhibited spontaneous respiration with concomitant production of peroxynitrite, a strong cytotoxic oxidant. Increases in arterial pressure caused by microinjection of l-glutamate were inhibited after preinjection of N ω-nitro- l-arginine methyl ester or methylene blue. Increases in arterial pressure caused by microinjection of sodium nitroprusside (1 nmol) were inhibited after preinjection of a glutamate receptor antagonist kynurenate. These results suggest that low doses of nitric oxide may increase arterial pressure, whereas high doses of nitric oxide may decrease arterial pressure through cytotoxic effects in the rostral ventrolateral medulla. They also indicate that nitric oxide may stimulate neurons both through activation of the nitric oxide cyclic GMP pathway and through modulation of glutamate receptor stimulation, and therefore, increase arterial pressure in rats.