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A simple method for generating a blood pressure-unit activity relationship for central cardiovascular neurons in the
A Cividjian1, N Rentero, R McAllen
1Physiology, School of Medicine, Lyon, France.
Experimental Physiology
|December 17, 2002
Abstract:
One way to identify central cardiovascular neurons is to consider their barosensitivity, for example by plotting changes in their single unit activity as a function of evoked changes in blood pressure. To simplify the genesis of such pressure-activity relationships, a coronary angioplasty catheter was threaded into the aorta of anaesthetized rats and the balloon inflated to raise the blood pressure mechanically. Here, such a procedure is exemplified for cardiac vagal motoneurons in the medulla oblongata in eight rats. This simplification bypasses potentially problematic surgery and minimizes deterioration of the animal.