M. Hatam
M. Ganjkhani

Introduction: Experiments were done to investigate the cardiovascular response to glutamate (Glu) injection in the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BST) in urethane anesthetized ovariectomized (OVX) or OVX estrogen treated (OVX+E) female Wistar rats. In this study also the effect of glutaminergic system of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) on Glu stimulation of cardiovascular response of the BST were investigated. Methods: Experiments were performed on ۲۷ anaesthetized rats divided into two groups of ovarictomized (OVX) and ovarictomized-estrogen treated (OVX+E). Drugs (۵۰ nl), glutamate; (Glu ۰.۲۵M/۲۰ nl) was microinjected into the BST and kynurenic acid a nonselective antagonist glutamate receptors (KYN, ۵mM/ ۵۰ nl), was microinjected into the RVLM by micropipette and the BST was restimulated at ۱۰, ۲۰, ۶۰ minutes after the injection of KYN into the RVLM. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded before and throughout each experiment. The means of maximum changes of mean arterial pressure and heart rate were compared between groups of OVX and OVX+E and saline using ANOVA and with preinjection values using paired t- test. Results: Unilateral microinjection of Glu into the BST (control) decreased mean arterial pressure and heart rate, in the OVX+E and OVX. Ipsilateral microinjection of KYN into the RVLM attenuated Glu induced depressor and bradycardic responses to stimulation of the BST ۱۰ minutes after microinjection of KYN in both groups. Conclusion: These data suggest that RVLM cardiovascular sympathetic premotor neurons contain glutamate receptors that mediate in part the depressor and bradycardic responses to stimulation of the BST in the OVX and OVX+E animals.

Ovariectomized, Kynurenic Acid, Blood pressure, Heart Rate, Ovariectomized, Kynurenic Acid, Blood pressure, Heart Rate