Cardiovascular and muscle tone changes produced by microinjection of cholinergic and glutamatergic agonists in dorsolateral pons and medial medulla.

TitleCardiovascular and muscle tone changes produced by microinjection of cholinergic and glutamatergic agonists in dorsolateral pons and medial medulla.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication1990
AuthorsLai YY, Siegel JM
JournalBrain Res
Volume514
Issue1
Pagination27-36
Date Published1990 Apr 23
ISSN0006-8993
KeywordsAnimals, Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular System, Cats, Cholinergic Fibers, Decerebrate State, Female, Glutamates, Glutamic Acid, Heart Rate, Male, Medulla Oblongata, Muscle Tonus, Neurotransmitter Agents, Parasympathomimetics, Pons
Abstract

Cardiovascular and muscle responses to L-glutamic acid (Glut) and cholinergic agonists injected into the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum and medial medullary reticular formation (MMRF) were examined in unanesthetized, decerebrated cats. Glut, or cholinergic agonists acetylcholine (ACh) or carbachol (Carb), were injected into pons and MMRF at sites from which electrical stimulation produced bilateral suppression of muscle tone. Glut injection in MMRF produced hypotension without change in heart rate at doses as low as 1 mM. At higher doses (0.1-0.4 M), Glut induced hypotension with bradycardia in 23 out of 40 injections in both pons and MMRF. High concentrations of microinjected Glut decreased muscle tone or produced complete atonia in pons and rostral MMRF. Both N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA) and non-NMDA receptor blockers attenuated or completely blocked the cardiovascular response, while only non-NMDA antagonists blocked muscle inhibition to Glut injection. Microinjection of cholinergic agonists produced consistent hypotension in all of the injections in pons and MMRF, however, the heart rate response was variable with increase (27/42), decrease (2/42), or no change (13/42) in rate seen. Cholinergic injection produced muscle atonia in pons and caudal MMRF but not in rostral MMRF. Both muscle and cardiovascular responses were blocked by atropine but not by hexamethonium. The time course of muscle atonia and cardiovascular change differed in most of the experiments. We conclude that muscle tone suppression and cardiovascular response to Glut or cholinergic agonists use different receptor mechanisms and possibly different neurons. However, the co-localization of these mechanisms suggests that neuronal networks in the medial medulla and dorsolateral pons coordinate motor and cardiovascular responses.

DOI10.1016/0006-8993(90)90432-b
Alternate JournalBrain Res
PubMed ID1972638
Grant ListHL41371 / HL / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
MH43811 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States
NS1640 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States