C-FOS EXPRESSION IN CENTRAL CARDIOVASCULAR PATHWAYS

Injection of muscimol in the caudal ventrolateral medulla increases bl ood pressure and stimulates neuronal c-fos expression in the rostral v entral medulla (RVM). The blockade of c-fos expression in the RVM by a ntisense oligonucleotides attenuates the blood pressure response to th is muscimol-induced disinhibition of the RVM and also reduces resting blood pressure. The results suggest that cardiovascular neurons in the RVM express c-fos and that the basal and stimulated expression ct the c-fos gene is important in the central regulation of blood pressure.