Cardiovascular effects elicited from the ventral surface of medulla oblongata in the cat

Cardiovascular adjustments induced by topical application of drugs on a restricted area on the ventral surface of the medulla oblongata, corresponding to the caudal part of the rostral chemoreceptor area and the intermediate area, have been studied in chloralose-anesthetized cats. Topical application of GABA or glycine on these structures resulted in blood pressure fall, bradycardia, vasodilatation in the kidney and the skeletal muscles and also depression of respiration. Similar responses except for a slight tachycardia occurred with application of physostigmine. Application of GABA resulted in a marked attenuation of the reflex vasoconstrictor responses to removal of arterial baroreceptor restraint (carotid occlusion), particularly in the kidney, and to disappearance of the reflex renal vasodilatation to baroreceptor stimulation. The findings suggest that GABA application leads to a general diminution of the tonic vasomotor neuron activity, and with regard to renal vasomotor neurons a virtual cessation. Atropine methylnitrate application induced blood pressure rise, increased peripheral resistance in both skeletal muscle and kidney and a strongly potentiated renal vasoconstrictor response to carotid occlusion. The results indicate that the studied superficial medullary structures play an important role for the maintenance of tonic vasomotor neuron activity, especially renal.