Activation of Vestibular Neurons Projecting to Autonomic Brain Stem Nuclei Following Acute Hypotension in Rats.
- Author:
Dong Ok CHOI
1
;
Chon Il YON
;
Myoung Ae CHOI
;
Byung Rim PARK
;
Min Sun KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Physiology, Wonkwang University School of Medicine and Vestibulocochlear Research Center at Wonkwang University, Iksan 570-749, Republic of Korea, Korea. mskim@won kwang.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Vestibular nucleus;
Hypotension;
pERK 1/2;
Labyrinthectomy
- MeSH:
Animals;
Blotting, Western;
Brain Stem*;
Brain*;
Hemorrhage;
Hypotension*;
Neurons*;
Oncogenes;
Rats*;
Vestibular Nuclei
- From:The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
2004;8(4):181-185
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Extracellular regulated protein kinase1/2 (pERK1/2) is one of the major regulatory factors for transcription of the c-fos oncogene in neurons. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of phosphorylated ERK1/2 within the vestibular nuclei (VN) of rats following acute arterial hypotension. Following the acute arterial hypotension induced by rapid hemorrhage, a significant number of pERK1/2-immunoreactive neurons appeared bilaterally in the caudal aspect of the medial and inferior VN. No labeling of pERK1/2 was observed in the lateral VN. The peak expression of pERK1/2 in these nuclei occurred within 5 min after hemorrhage. However, in bilaterally labyrinthectomized rats, the appearance of pERK1/2-immunoreactive neurons was eliminated in the VN. Western blot confirmed the effect of bilateral labyrinthectomy on pERK1/2 protein expression in the medial vestibular nucleus 5 min after hemorrhage. These results suggest that, following acute hypotension, afferent signals from the peripheral vestibular receptors are required for activation of ERK 1/2 in the VN.
