This study tested the hypothesis that deletion of angiotensin type 1a receptors (AT1a) from the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus (PVN) attenuates anxiety-like behavior, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, and cardiovascular reactivity. We used the Cre/LoxP system to generate male mice with AT1a specifically deleted from the PVN. Deletion of the AT1a from the PVN reduced a...

BACKGROUND AND AIM Paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of hypothalamus is an important central component in modulating adipose afferent reflex (AAR). Melanocortin receptors (MC3/4Rs) expressions are found in the hypothalamic PVN. This study was designed to determine the roles of MC3/4Rs in the PVN in modulating the AAR and its downstream signaling pathway in normal rats. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDI...

Our previous studies have shown that angiotensin II and reactive oxygen species in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) modulate the cardiac sympathetic afferent reflex (CSAR). The present study was designed to demonstrate more conclusively that the PVN is an important component of the central neurocircuitry of the CSAR. In anaesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats with sinoaortic denervation and cervical...

Nitric oxide (NO) in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is involved in the regulation of the excitability of PVN neurons. However, the effect of NO on the inhibitory GABAergic and excitatory glutamatergic inputs to spinally projecting PVN neurons has not been studied specifically. In the present study, we determined the role of the inhibitory GABAergic and excitatory glutamatergic inputs in the ...

The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus is involved in the neural control of sympathetic drive, but the precise mechanism(s) that influences the PVN is not known. The activation of the PVN may be influenced by input from higher forebrain areas, such as the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO) and the subfornical organ (SFO). We hypothesized that activation of the MnPO or SFO would drive...

Neuronal activity in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is known to be elevated in rats with heart failure. However, the type of neurons involved and the underlying synaptic mechanisms remain unknown. Here we examined spontaneous firing activity and synaptic currents in presympathetic PVN neurons in rats with myocardial infarction (MI), using slice patch clamp combined with the retrograde labeli...

Renal denervation for the treatment of hypertension has proven to be successful; however, the underlying mechanism/s are not entirely clear. To determine if preautonomic neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) respond to afferent renal nerve (ARN) stimulation, extracellular single-unit recording was used to investigate the contribution of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM)-projecting...

Blockade of GABA-A receptors in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) has been repeatedly shown to increase arterial blood pressure (ABP), heart rate (HR), and sympathetic nerve activity (SNA), but the mechanism(s) that underlies this response has not been determined. Here, we tested whether full expression of the response requires activation of local ANG II AT1 receptors. ABP, HR, and...

The circadian rhythm in melatonin production in mammals is regulated by a suprachiasmatic (SCN) leads to spinal cord leads to pineal circuit. In the present investigation the possible participation of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) in the SCN leads to spinal cord segment of this circuit was investigated in the rat. Bilateral lesions of the PVN area were produced and one t...

Glutamatergic synaptic input in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) plays a critical role in regulating sympathetic outflow in hypertension. GluR2-lacking AMPA receptors (AMPARs) are permeable to Ca(2+), and their currents show unique inward rectification. However, little is known about changes in the AMPAR composition and its functional significance in hypertension. In this study, w...