Af. Sved et al., Neuroanatomical specificity of the circuits controlling sympathetic outflow to different targets, CLIN EXP PH, 28(1-2), 2001, pp. 115-119
Citations number
35
Categorie Soggetti
Pharmacology & Toxicology
Journal title
CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY
1. Despite the emerging framework that central neural pathways controlling
the activity of the sympathetic nervous system are capable of producing hig
hly selective responses, the specific neural pathways governing different s
ympathetic outflows are poorly understood.
2, Anatomical studies suggest that five brain areas, namely the rostral ven
trolateral medulla, the rostral ventromedial medulla, the caudal raphe nucl
ei, the region containing the A5 noradrenergic neurons and the paraventricu
lar hypothalamic nucleus, provide dominant supraspinal innervation of sympa
thetic preganglionic neurons.
3. The anatomical parcellation of different functions within and among thes
e cell groups is uncertain. However, recent studies using transynaptic retr
ograde labelling of neural pathways connected to various sympathetic target
s suggest that the circuits controlling these different targets may be part
ially distinct. Similarly, anatomical studies relying on stimulus-evoked ex
pression of immediate early genes, such as c-fos, suggest that different sy
mpathetic responses mag be controlled by distinct neural circuits.
4. Thus, although many similarities exist in the anatomical circuits innerv
ating different sympathetic targets, possibly supporting the orchestration
of global sympathetic responses, differences are also discernible.