AJP - Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Vol 259, Issue 5 943-R954, Copyright © 1990 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Neurons controlling cardiovascular responses to emotion are located in lateral hypothalamus-perifornical region

O. A. Smith, J. L. DeVito and C. A. Astley
Regional Primate Research Center, University of Washington, Seattle 98195.

We did four experiments to determine whether the lateral hypothalamus-perifornical (LH/PF) region is the source of neuronal cell bodies responsible for producing the cardiovascular (CV) responses associated with emotion or the defense reaction. Of particular concern was whether the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) plays a role in the generation of these CV responses. Mapping the hypothalamus with electrical stimulation showed that the CV pattern of responses was never produced by stimulating the PVN and was invariably produced by stimulating the LH/PF region. Complete electrolytic destruction of the PVN and subsequent axonal degeneration did not change the CV pattern of responses elicited by LH/PF stimulation, whereas any encroachment of the lesion on the LH/PF region decreased the magnitude of the CV responses. Injection of the neuroexcitotoxin ibotenic acid (Ibo) into the PVN did not affect responses to LH/PF stimulation, whereas Ibo injection into the LH/PF region eliminated or severely attenuated the CV responses. Retrograde labeling of cells from the thoracic cord and the ventrolateral reticular formation revealed a scattered group of cells in the LH/PF region that may be the cells controlling the CV responses. These results point directly to the LH/PF region as the source of the cell bodies responsible for the autonomic responses associated with emotion or defense reactions.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				O. A. Smith and C. A. Astley Naturally occurring hypertension in New World nonhuman primates: potential role of the perifornical hypothalamus Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, February 1, 2007; 292(2): R937 - R945. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Sevoz-Couche, M.-A. Comet, M. Hamon, and R. Laguzzi Role of Nucleus Tractus Solitarius 5-HT3 Receptors in the Defense Reaction-Induced Inhibition of the Aortic Baroreflex in Rats J Neurophysiol, October 1, 2003; 90(4): 2521 - 2530. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. L. Segar, D. L. Ellsbury, and O. M. Smith Inhibition of sympathetic responses at birth in sheep by lesion of the paraventricular nucleus Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, December 1, 2002; 283(6): R1395 - R1403. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. A. P. Fontes, T. Tagawa, J. W. Polson, S.-J. Cavanagh, and R. A. L. Dampney Descending pathways mediating cardiovascular response from dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, June 1, 2001; 280(6): H2891 - H2901. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Peyron, D. K. Tighe, A. N. van den Pol, L. de Lecea, H. C. Heller, J. G. Sutcliffe, and T. S. Kilduff Neurons Containing Hypocretin (Orexin) Project to Multiple Neuronal Systems J. Neurosci., December 1, 1998; 18(23): 9996 - 10015. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. H. Launois, J. H. Abraham, J. W. Weiss, and D. A. Kirby Patterned cardiovascular responses to sleep and nonrespiratory arousals in a porcine model J Appl Physiol, October 1, 1998; 85(4): 1285 - 1291. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]