ABSTRACT
To investigate the role of posterior hypothalamus and central neurotransmitters in the pulmonary edema due to hypobaric hypoxia, rats were placed in a high altitude simulation chamber (barometric pressure-294.4 mmHg) for 24 h. Exposure to hypobaric hypoxia resulted in increases in mean arterial blood pressure, renal sympathetic nerve activity, right ventricular systolic pressure, lung wet to dry weight ratio and Evans blue dye leakage. There was a significant attenuation in these responses to hypobaric hypoxia (a) after lesioning posterior hypothalamus and (b) after chronic infusion of GABAA receptor agonist muscimol into posterior hypothalamus. No such attenuation was evident with the chronic infusion of the nitric oxide donor SNAP into the posterior hypothalamus. It is concluded that in hypobaric hypoxia, there is over-activity of posterior hypothalamic neurons probably due to a local decrease in GABA-ergic inhibition which increases the sympathetic drive causing pulmonary hypertension and edema.
Subject(s)
Altitude Sickness/physiopathology , Hypertension, Pulmonary/physiopathology , Hypothalamus, Posterior/physiopathology , Hypoxia/physiopathology , Animals , Disease Models, Animal , GABA-A Receptor Agonists/pharmacology , Hypothalamus, Posterior/drug effects , Male , Muscimol/pharmacology , Nitric Oxide Donors/pharmacology , Pulmonary Edema/physiopathology , Rats , Rats, Wistar , S-Nitroso-N-Acetylpenicillamine/pharmacology , Sympathetic Nervous System/drug effects , Sympathetic Nervous System/physiopathologyABSTRACT
Activation of the orexin (OX)-ergic neurons in the perifornical (PeF) area has been reported to induce waking and reduce rapid eye movement sleep (REMS). The activities of OX-ergic neurons are maximum during active waking and they progressively reduce during non-REMS (NREMS) and REMS. Apparently, the locus coeruleus (LC) neurons also behave in a comparable manner as that of the OX-ergic neurons particularly in relation to waking and REMS. Further, as PeF OX-ergic neurons send dense projections to LC, we argued that the former could drive the LC neurons to modulate waking and REMS. Studies in freely moving normally behaving animals where simultaneously neuro-chemo-anatomo-physio-behavioral information could be deciphered would significantly strengthen our understanding on the regulation of REMS. Therefore, in this study in freely behaving chronically prepared rats we stimulated the PeF neurons without or with simultaneous blocking of specific subtypes of OX-ergic receptors in the LC while electrophysiological recording characterizing sleep-waking was continued. Single dose of glutamate stimulation as well as sustained mild electrical stimulation of PeF (both bilateral) significantly increased waking and reduced REMS as compared to baseline. Simultaneous application of OX-receptor1 (OX1R) antagonist bilaterally into the LC prevented PeF stimulation-induced REMS suppression. Also, the effect of electrical stimulation of the PeF was long lasting as compared to that of the glutamate stimulation. Further, sustained electrical stimulation significantly decreased both REMS duration as well as REMS frequency, while glutamate stimulation decreased REMS duration only.
