Acute central effects of L-glutamate in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs

Microinjections of L-glutamate (10(-10) to 2 X 10(-8) mol/kg) into the nucleus of tractus solitarii produced a dose-dependent increase in mean arterial pressure and a decrease in heart rate. L-Glutamate-induced hypertension was prevented by spinal transection and pretreatment with atropine (1 mg/kg iv) reversed the bradycardia. L-Glutamate also produced a dose-dependent increase in mean arterial pressure when injected intravenously and into the cisterna magna, but the dose-effect curves were shifted to the right. Finally, pretreatment with hexamethonium (30 mg/kg iv) abolished the hypertension resulting from intravenous injections of L-glutamate. These data demonstrate that the nucleus of tractus solitarii may play a determinant role in the central pressor effects of L-glutamate. In addition, we demonstrated that this hypertension was due to a central sympathetic stimulation and that the autonomic nervous system also mediated the pressor effects of intravenous L-glutamate.