• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.201-209
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• 1991

The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) has been established recently as a sympathoexcitatory area. The present study was conducted to investigate whether the somatosympathetic pressor and/or depressor responses are mediated through RVLM in cats anesthetized with ${\alpha}-chloralose$. An occipital craniectomy was performed and ventrolateral medulla were stimulated either electrically or chemically to evoke changes in arterial blood pressure. And then the effect of lesions in the ventrolateral medulla on the changes in blood pressure elicited by the peripheral nerve stimulation was observed. Followings are the results obtained: 1) Pressor areas were found in the ventrolateral medulla, lateral reticular nucleus and rostral dorsal area. 2) Depressor areas were found mainly in the ventrolateral medulla rostral to the pressor areas. 3) Some areas showed biphasic responses: a depressor response to lower frequency and a pressor response to higher frequency stimulation. 4) After electrical lesion in pressor area in RVLM, the somatosympathetic pressor response was abolished or depressed markedly. The somatosympathetic depressor response, however, remained after the lesion. 5) Electrical lesion in the depressor area abolished somatosympathetic depressor response. From the above results it is concluded that somatosympathetic pressor response is mediated through RVLM, while somatosympathetic depressor response is not mediated through RVLM.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.3 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 1999

The hyperactivity of cholinergic system in the RVLM of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) may contribute to the sustained elevation of blood pressure. However, the hyperactivity mechanisms of cholinergic system are controversial. Thus, to clarify the mechanisms of cholinergic hyperactivity in RVLM of the SHR, we studied the activities of enzymes that participate in the biosynthesis and degradation of acetylcholine (ACh) and the density of muscarinic receptors in RVLM of the 14- to 18-week-old SHR and age-marched Wistar Kyoto rats (WKY). Choline acetyltransferase activity was far greater in RVLM of SHR than that of WKY. $[^3H]ACh$ release from RVLM was also greater in SHR than in WKY. Acetylcholinesterase activity and $[^3H]NMS$ binding of RVLM slice of SHR were not significantly different from that of WKY. These results suggest that the enhanced cholinergic mechanisms in the RVLM of SHR is due to the enhanced presynaptic cholinergic tone rather than the altered postsynaptic mechanisms.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.79-84
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• 1996

A number of experimental evidences suggest that the rnun ventrolateral medulla(RVLM) is the final common pathway in the regulation of arterial blood pressure. A Voup of neurons in the RVLM, called the cardiovascular neurons (UN), show spontaneous activity temporally synchronized with the periodic cardiac cycle. These neurons affect the sympathetic nerve discharge(SND), thus are believed to be responsible for blood pressure control. The present experiment identified 98 UVNs in 42 cats based on the temporal relationships between each neuron's activity with both the cardiac cycle and SWD. In 20 UWL changes of spontaneous firing rate(FR) during the somatosympathetic reflex(SSR) were studied Five different firing patterns were observed during the pressor and depressor responses of SSR, implying that they form an interconnected neuronal circuit interacting with one another to generate efferent signals for blood pressure regulation. In the following companion paper, the firing patterns of CVN are analyzed to develop a minimal neuronal circuit model explaining the present experimental outcome.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.105-116
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• 1996

Rendering the brain ischemic would evoke the cerebral ischemic reflex which is characterized by an arterial pressor response, apnea and bradycardia. Since the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is known to play a key role in the maintenance of normal cardiopulmonary activity, during the cerebral ischemic reflex some cardiac related cells should be excited and respiration related cells inhibited. In this context, the responses of RVLM neurons to systemie and focal hypoxia were analyzed in the present study. Twenty-five adult cats of either sex were anesthetized with ${\alpha}-chloralose$ and the single neuronal activities were identified from RVLM area. For the induction of focal hypoxia in the recording site, sodium cyanide was applied iontophoretically and for systemic hypoxia the animal was ventilated with nitrogen gas for a twenty-second period. Cellular activities were analyzed in terms of their discharge pattern and responses to the hypoxia by using post-stimulus time and single-pass time histograms. Of eighteen cardiac related cells recorded from the RVLM area, twelve cells were excited by iontophoresed sodium cyanide and of twenty-five respiration related cells, fourteen cells were excited by iontophoresed sodium cyanide. Remaining cells were either inhibited or unaffected. Eight of fifteen cells tested with iontophoresed sodium lactate were excited and remaining seven cells were inhibited. Systemic hypoxia induced by nitrogen gas inhalation elevated the arterial blood pressure, but excited, inhibited or unaffected the single neuronal activities. Some cells showed initial excitation followed by inhibition during the systemic hypoxia. Bilateral vagotomy resulted in a decrease of arterial pressor response to the systemic hypoxia, and a slight decrease in the rhythmicity related to cardiac and/or respiratory rhythms. The single neuronal responses to either systemic or focal hypoxia were not affected qualitatively by vagotomy. From the above results, it was concluded that the majority of the cardiac- and respiration- related neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla be excited by hypoxia, not through the mediation of peripheral chemoreceptors, and along with the remaining inhibited cells, all these cells be involved in the mediation of cerebral ischemic reflex.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.31 no.5
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• pp.441-450
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• 1998

The medullospinal tract cells are known to play an important role in the control of the cardiovascular activities. To clarify the modes of action of the neurotransmitters on these cells, glutamate, GABA(${\gamma}$-aminobutyric acid) and bicuculline were applicated iontophoretically into the rostral ventrolateral medulla in adult cats anesthetised with ${\alpha}$-chloralose. Followings are the results obtained : 1. The spontaneous activities of the cardiac-related neurons in rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) were increased by the glutamate and decreased by the GABA. 2. Bicuculline, an antagonist of GABA, alone didn't increase the frequency of the action potentials, but could reverse the cellular response to the GABA, simultaneously applicated. 3. GABA seemed to decrease the peak as well as the basal discharge of the neurons in RVLM, but hardly changed their periodicities. 4. The cellular responses of RVLM evoked by the peripheral nerve stimulation could be inhibited by the iontophoretically released GABA. In conclusion, GABA seemed to act as an inhibitory neurotransmitter on the cardiac- related neurons in RVLM of the cats anesthetized with ${\alpha}$-chloralose. But the maintenance of the periodicities of these cells after the application of bicuculline suggested that the afferent activity of the baroreceptor didn't play a key role in the spontaneous activities of the RVLM neurons.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.477-486
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• 1996

Endogenous analgesic systems are known to be activated by peripheral noxious stimulation as well as arterial carbon dioxide elevation. In the present study, neuronal Activities in the rostral ventrolateral med- ulla were identified and classified in according to their rhythmic activities, and their responses to noxious peripheral nerve stimulations before and after elevating the arterial carbon dioxide partial pressure were investigated Using extracellular recording technic, a total of 53 spontaneously active neurons were recorded from the rostral ventrolateral medulla in u-chloralose anesthetized cats. These were classified as cardiovascular (28), respiratory (16), both cardiovascular and respiratory (2) and noncardiovascular - nonrespiratory (7). - Among the 28 cardiovascular neurons eleven showed increased activities during arterial hypercapnia, thirteen showed decreased responses, and four showed no change. Nine respiratory neurons showed increased responses to arterial hypercapnia, six showed decreased responses and one showed no change. neither of the cardiovascular and respiratory neurons showed significant change in its activity during ar- terial hypercapnia, however, four of the noncardiovascular - nonrespiratory neurons exhibited decreased their activities in response to arterial hypercapnia while two exhibited increased activities. Arterial hypercapnia increased the responses of cardiovascular neurons to peripheral nerve stimulation with C-inteniity, while not changing the responses to Ak_stimulation significantly . From the above results it was conclllded that during arterial hypercapnia, some cardiovascular neurons and respiratory neurons have increased activities as well as increased reponses to C-Hber stimulation.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.159-165
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• 2015

Input signals originating from baroreceptors and vestibular receptors are integrated in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) to maintain blood pressure during postural movement. The contribution of baroreceptors and vestibular receptors in the maintenance of blood pressure following hypotension were quantitatively analyzed by measuring phosphorylated extracellular regulated protein kinase (pERK) expression and glutamate release in the RVLM. The expression of pERK and glutamate release in the RVLM were measured in conscious rats that had undergone bilateral labyrinthectomy (BL) and/or sinoaortic denervation (SAD) following hypotension induced by a sodium nitroprusside (SNP) infusion. The expression of pERK was significantly increased in the RVLM in the control group following SNP infusion, and expression peaked 10 min after SNP infusion. The number of pERK positive neurons increased following SNP infusion in BL, SAD, and BL+SAD groups, although the increase was smaller than seen in the control group. The SAD group showed a relatively higher reduction in pERK expression when compared with the BL group. The level of glutamate release was significantly increased in the RVLM in control, BL, SAD groups following SNP infusion, and this peaked 10 min after SNP infusion. The SAD group showed a relatively higher reduction in glutamate release when compared with the BL group. These results suggest that the baroreceptors are more powerful in pERK expression and glutamate release in the RVLM following hypotension than the vestibular receptors, but the vestibular receptors still have an important role in the RVLM.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.185-197
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• 1993

The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) includes vasopressor neurons, which transmit activation signals to the intermediolateral nucleus (IML) of the spinal cord, where the preganglionic sympathetic nucleus is located, to raise arterial blood pressure (BP). However, controversy exists as to the possible depressor area in the RVLM and the pathway involved. The present study persued evidence far the location of depressor neurons and the pathway by simultaneously observing changes in BP and the firing rate (FR) of cardiovascular neurons (CVNs) in the RVLM during the somatosympathetic reflex (SSR) elicited by peripheral nerve stimulation, since CVNs are known to contribute to the generation of the sympathetic nerve discharge. In 42 cats, anaesthetized with $\alpha-chloralose$, single unit recording was performed, using carbon filament electrodes inserted into the RVLM, enabling estimation of the post R wave unit histogram (PR-UNlT) and the spike triggered average of sympathetic nerve discharge (STA-SND), allowing identification of CVNs. Antidromic stimulation of spinal $T_2$ segment was followed to determine whether the identified CVN projects axonal endings to the spinal cord (reticulospinal neuron). The sciatic nerve was electrically stimulated at $A\delta-intensity$ (1 mA, 0.1 ms), 1 Hz and C-intensity (10 mA, 0.5 ms), 20 Hz to elicit the depressor, and pressor responses of the SSR, respectively. Simultaneous measurement of CVN firing rate was made. Experimental results are summarized as follows. 1) 20 out of 98 CVNs had axonal projections to the spinal cord and 17 out of 98 CVNs showed FR changes during SSR. 2) Response patterns of FR and BP during SSR were classified into 8 types. 3) These 8 different response patterns could be further classified into those from pressor and depressor neurons. These results demonstrate that some CVNs were identifiable as reticulospinal neurons responding to anti-dromic stimulation and that CVNs operating as depressor neurons as well as pressor neurons exist in the RVLM, both of which are involved with SSR mediation. Therefore, evidence was found that an independent depressor pathway might be involved in the mediation of SSR.

• BMB Reports
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• v.54 no.12
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• pp.620-625
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• 2021

Microglia are known to be activated in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of rats with cardiovascular diseases. However, the exact role of microglial activation in the plasticity of presympathetic PVN neurons associated with the modulation of sympathetic outflow remains poorly investigated. In this study, we analyzed the direct link between microglial activation and spontaneous firing rate along with the underlying synaptic mechanisms in PVN neurons projecting to the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). Systemic injection of LPS induced microglial activation in the PVN, increased the frequency of spontaneous firing activity of PVN-RVLM neurons, reduced GABAergic inputs into these neurons, and increased plasma NE levels and heart rate. Systemic minocycline injection blocked all the observed LPS-induced effects. Our results indicate that LPS increases the firing rate and decreases GABAergic transmission in PVN-RVLM neurons associated with sympathetic outflow and the alteration is largely attributed to the activation of microglia. Our findings provide some insights into the role of microglial activation in regulating the activity of PVN-RVLM neurons associated with modulation of sympathetic outflow in cardiovascular diseases.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
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• v.12 no.3 s.18
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• pp.59-67
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• 2006

Aims: Acupuncture has been used for the treatment of essential hypertension, but the efficacy and the mechanism of acupuncture in prevention of hypertension are still unclear. We tested the hypothesis that electroacupuncture (EA) applied to Baekhoe (GV20) changes NO/NOS system during development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), and thereby causes the delay of development of hypertension in SHR. Methods: The male SHR rats in the developmental stages of hypertension (7-8 weeks) were randomly divided into three groups (control group, GV20 acupuncture group, and tail acupuncture group). And the age matched Wistar Koyto Rats (WKY) were randomly divided into two groups (nagative control, GV20 acupuncture group). EA treatments (10Hz, 1mA, 0.1ms) were carried out for 25 min/day for five consecutive days. The systolic blood pressure (SBP) was determined in conscious rats by the tail-cuff method using automatic BP mornitoring system. We investigated the activations of inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in nuclei of solitary tract (NTS) and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) of SHR by the western blotting method. Results: The SBP after the termination of EA stimulation applied to the GV20 was stabilized at $169.14{\pm}3.67$ mmHg which is lower value than that of the control group. The SBP of control group was elevated to $178.14{\pm}3.49$ mmHg. In addition, we evaluated NOS activity as well as iNOS protein expression of NTS and RVLM in both of SHR and WKY. The iNOS activity in NTS was significantly higher in SHR than in WKY. Furthermore, the iNOS activity of NTS showed significant decreases in EA groups compare to that of non treated SHR group. Although iNOS expression of RVLM showed non significant changes between SHR and WKY, EA significantly enhanced the iNOS expression in SHR. Our data support the hypothesis that delayed development of hypertension and altered iNOS expression of NTS and RVLM by EA stimulations in SHR rats. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that acupuncture can change NO/NOS system in NTS and RVLM, and exert beneficial role on development of hypertension.