Role of brain angiotensin peptides in the regulation of sympathetic tone and blood pressure: interaction with glutamate and GABA: There is increasing evidence that brain angiotensin peptides, glutamate and GABA interact to control sympathetic tone and blood pressure and may be important in the pathogenesis of many forms of hypertension. This project aims to improve our understanding of this central regulation of blood pressure and sympathetic tone in normotensive and spontaneous hypertensive rats. We study the interactions of the local renin-angiotensin system and different neurotransmitters such as glutamate and GABA within the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), the rostral ventrolaleral medulla (RVLM) and the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS) of the brain. Blood pressure is monitored and neurotransmitters are measured in the PVN, RVLM and NTS under different conditions using microdialysis, and after local administration of several compounds interacting with different components of the renin-angiotensin system and of receptor agonists and antagonists.
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Sofie Brouwers