Humans with central lesions that augment sympathetic nerve activity are predisposed to cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial lesions, and sudden death. Previously, we showed that selectively killing neurons with neurokinin-1 receptors in the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) of rats attenuated the baroreflex and, in some animals, led to sudden unexplained death within approximately 2 wk. Interruption o...

1. The mechanism by which the area postrema augments central sympathetic drive during electrical stimulation is presently unknown. This pathway may involve either direct facilitation of brain-stem vasomotor neurons or inhibition of the sympatho-inhibitory baroreceptor relay in the nucleus tractus solitarii. 2. The present study employed selective lesions within the solitary tract nucleus to ass...

The frequency of baroreceptor volleys to the central nervous system can influence the fidelity of baroreceptor signal transmission and thus may affect baroreflex regulation of blood pressure. We examined 1) the extent to which frequency-dependent depression of aortic baroreceptor signals was initiated at the first central synapse between primary baroreceptor fibers and second-order nucleus trac...

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