Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) was first identified in the rat striatum where levels were upregulated following cocaine or amphetamine administration. A dense plexus of CART-immunoreactive fibers is noted in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). Results from tract-tracing and immunohistochemical studies suggest that the dense network of CARTp-fibers in the NTS may arise from nodose ganglia. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the hypothesis that CARTp may alter baroreceptor function in rats. Rats were intravenously administered phenylephrine every 10 min to elicit a baroreflex. CARTp (0.1- 3 nmol) by intracisternal or bilateral intra-NTS microinjection consistently attenuated the phenylephrineinduced bradycardia. In contrast, CARTp antibody potentiated the bradycardia produced from phenylephrine. Microinjection of saline, normal rabbit serum, or concomitant injection of CARTp and CART antibody into the NTS caused no significant change of phenylephrineinduced baroreflex. The result suggests that CARTp released from primary afferents may modulate baroreflex.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ETSU/oai:dc.etsu.edu:etd-2010 |
| Date | 03 May 2003 |
| Creators | Scruggs, Phouangmala C. |
| Publisher | Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University |
| Source Sets | East Tennessee State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
| Rights | Copyright by the authors. |
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