The long-term objective of this grant is to analyze the central neural circuits that regulate autonomic functions with an emphasis on the cardiovascular system. Neuroanatomical techniques will be used to identify and chemically characterize specific CNS neural circuits which affect the sympathetic supply to the heart and adrenal gland. Much of the work described here will utilize the viral transneuronal tracing method-a technique which depends upon the use of an attenuated pig herpes virus to produce transneuronal infections that spread within functionally related chains of central neurons. The first project will analyze the descending projections arising from the amygdala-an important brain region thought to be responsible for emotionally triggered cardiovascular changes. The second project deals with the preoptic region and its potential role in sympathetic control. The third project explores the sympathetic control systems represented within the suprachiasmatic hypothalamic nucleus the CNS pacemaker that provides circadian modulation of some sympathetic functions. The fourth project focuses on the descending cell groups. The fifth project investigates the efferent projections of the periaqueductal gray matter in reference to sympathetic control; this area of the brain has been implicated in programming the fight-or-flight response. These studies will be useful for understanding the brain circuits responsible for sustaining and modulating basic life functions, such as blood pressure and cardiac regulation. In addition, they may provide insights into the underlying CNS mechanisms of certain clinical conditions, such as stress-induced cardiovascular changes and essential hypertension.
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