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Salusin β Within the Nucleus Tractus Solitarii Suppresses Blood Pressure Via Inhibiting the Activities of Presympathetic Neurons in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

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Abstract

Salusin β is a newly identified bioactive peptide, which shows peripheral hypotensive, mitogenic and proatherosclerotic effects. The present study was undertaken to investigate the role of salusin β within the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) and the underlying mechanism in regulating blood pressure and heart rate (HR) in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Our results showed that bilateral or unilateral microinjection of salusin β (0.4–40 pmol) into the NTS in SHR decreased mean arterial pressure and HR in a dose-dependent manner. Bilateral microinjection of salusin β (4 pmol) within NTS improved baroreflex sensitivity functions in SHR. Pretreatment with glutamate receptors antagonist kynurenic acid (5 nmol) into the NTS in SHR did not alter the salusin β (4 pmol) induced hypotension and bradycardia. Likewise, bilateral vagotomy also did not alter the salusin β (4 pmol) induced hypotension and bradycardia. However, pretreatment with GABAA receptors agonist muscimol (100 pmol) within the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) in SHR almost completely abolished the hypotension and bradycardia evoked by intra-NTS salusin β (4 pmol). Our findings suggested that microinjection of salusin β into the NTS produced hypotension and bradycardia, as well as improved baroreflex sensitivity functions, via inhibiting the activities of presympathetic neurons in the RVLM in SHR.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Basic Research Program of China (No. 2012CB517805) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 30700266, 91439120, 81170248, 31171095, 81370356).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi’an, 710061, China

    Hong-Bao Li, Jin-Jun Liu, Yu-Wang Miao, Qing Su, Jie Qi, Hong Tan & Yu-Ming Kang

  2. Department of Clinical Laboratory, SanAiTang Hospital, Lanzhou, 730030, China

    Yan Lu

  3. Department of Physiology and Psychology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Tian-Zhen Zheng

  4. Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710061, China

    Zu-Yi Yuan

  5. Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease and Molecular Intervention, Department of Physiology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210029, China

    Guo-Qing Zhu

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  1. Hong-Bao Li
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Li, HB., Lu, Y., Liu, JJ. et al. Salusin β Within the Nucleus Tractus Solitarii Suppresses Blood Pressure Via Inhibiting the Activities of Presympathetic Neurons in the Rostral Ventrolateral Medulla in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats. Cardiovasc Toxicol 16, 223–234 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12012-015-9330-2

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