Rat vasopressin cell responses to simulated hemorrhage: stimulus-dependent role for A1 noradrenergic neurons

c-fos expression mapping and electrophysiological recording experiments were done to clarify the role of the A1 noradrenergic cell group in the vasopressin response to hypotensive hemorrhage. In pentobarbital-anesthetized rats, moderate and severe hypotensive hemorrhages were simulated by brief occlusion of the inferior vena cava sufficient to reduce mean arterial pressure to approximately 50 or 30 mmHg, respectively. Both stimuli significantly increased the number of A1 region catecholamine cells displaying Fos-like immunoreactivity, this effect being most prominent at the level of the area postrema. Both stimuli also increased the number of supraoptic nucleus vasopressin cells displaying Fos-like immunoreactivity. Accordingly, electrophysiological studies involving separate animals confirmed that both moderate and severe caval occlusion significantly increased the firing of functionally identified vasopressin cells recorded in the supraoptic nucleus. However, although interruption of A1 region neuronal function by injection of gamma-aminobutyric acid at the level of the area postrema eliminated the increase in vasopressin cell firing elicited by moderate caval occlusion, it did not block the response to severe caval occlusion. These findings suggest that, in the rat, the vasopressin response to an acute reduction in central blood volume, such as that produced by hemorrhage, depends on the A1 projection only if the stimulus is of moderate intensity. Severe stimuli appear to involve activation of both the A1 projection and an additional vasopressin-stimulatory pathway that bypasses the A1 region.