Interaction between acetylcholine and bradykinin in the lateral septal area of the rat brain: involvement of muscarinic receptors in cardiovascular responses

Neural Connections Between Prosencephalic Structures Involved in Vasopressin Release

1. The diagonal band (DB) and the lateral septal area (LSA) are two prosencephalic structures, which were implicated in vasopressin release. 2. The present experiment was designed to investigate neural connections between the DB and the LSA and from these nuclei to the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic (SON) nuclei, which could be related to vasopressin release. 3. For the above purpose the bidirectional neuronal tracer biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) was injected into the DB or the LSA of male Wistar rats. Five days later the animals were sacrificed and brain slices were processed and analyzed to determine neuronal projections efferent from as well as afferent to these structures. 4. Neuronal staining was more prominent in regions ipsilateral to the BDA injection site. 5. After BDA injections into the DB, efferent projections from the DB were observed at the LSA, the PVN, the prefrontal cortex, the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus, and throughout the anterior hypothalamus, but not at the SON. At the PVN, labeled varicose fibers were observed at the magnocellular portion. The DB was found to receive a massive input from the LSA. More discrete projections to the DB were originated at the prefrontal cortex and from hypothalamic neurons outside the PVN and the SON. 6. After BDA injections into the ventral portion of the LSA, efferent projections from the LSA were intense at the DB and throughout the hypothalamus. Labeled fibers were observed at the structures surrounding the SON or the PVN but not within those nuclei. 7. The results indicate a massive neural output from the LSA to the DB and the existence of a direct neural connection from the DB to the PVN. No direct connections were observed between the LSA and the magnocellular nuclei (PVN and SON) or between the DB and the SON.

Projections from the caudal part to the rostral part of the lateral septal area mediate blood pressure increase

We previously demonstrated that restraint stress-induced pressor responses were inhibited by bilateral microinjection of muscimol into the rostral part of the ventral zone of the lateral septal area (LSV). The caudal part of the lateral septal area is also reported to be involved in blood pressure regulation. In this study, we examined whether the LSV receives projections from the caudal part of the dorsal zone of the lateral septal area (LSD) in rats. Injections of a fluorescent tracer into the LSV produced maximal retrograde labeling within the LSD. Microinjection of carbachol (10-100 pmol) into the LSD produced a dose-dependent pressor response. The pressor response to carbachol was inhibited by microinjection of muscimol (80 pmol) or 4-DAMP (1 nmol) into the ipsilateral side of the LSV. Microinjection of muscimol (80 pmol) into the LSD also inhibited the pressor response induced by restraint stress. Repeated injections of carbachol (30 pmol) into the LSD produced Fos immunoreactivity in the ipsilateral side of the LSV. These findings suggest that the LSD projects to the LSV and that these projections may be involved in blood pressure increase.

Cholinergic mechanism in the lateral septal area is involved in the stress-induced blood pressure increase in rats

Previously, we demonstrated that the rostral part of the ventral zone of the lateral septal area (LSV) was involved in the restraint stress-induced pressor response. It is suggested that there exist acetylcholine receptors responsible for blood pressure increase in the caudal part of the lateral septal area. In this study, we examined whether acetylcholine receptors responsible for pressor responses also exist in the rostral part of the LSV and whether these acetylcholine receptors are involved in the stress-induced pressor response in rats. Microinjection of either carbachol (10-100pmol) or physostigmine (0.46 and 1.5nmol) into the LSV caused a dose-dependent increase in blood pressure. The pressor response to carbachol (30pmol) was inhibited by the M1 antagonist pirenzepine and the M3 antagonist 4-DAMP mustard but not by the M2 antagonist methoctramine injected into the LSV. Bilateral microinjections of the M1/M3 antagonist 4-DAMP (1nmol) inhibited the restraint stress-induced pressor response. These findings suggest that M1/M3 muscarinic receptors responsible for blood pressure increase exist in the rostral part of the LSV and they are partly involved in the stress-induced pressor response.

Involvement of rat lateral septum-acetylcholine pressor system in central amygdaloid nucleus-emotional pressor circuit

There is an emotional pressor circuit composed of nuclei controlling emotion and stress, which may be the neurophysiological basis for prolonged emotional stress inducing hypertension. The central amygdaloid nucleus (AC) is the most important in this circuit, which widely connects with the other nuclei via its CRF (corticotropin releasing factor)-ergic and SP (substance P)-ergic projection fibers. There is another pressor system composed of the lateral septum (SL), habenula (HB), locus coeruleus (LC), and rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVL); muscarinic receptors are involved in each connection of this system. In view of the facts that the SL also plays an important role in integration of emotion and autonomic reaction, and the AC projects to the SL, it is likely that the SL-acetylcholine (ACh) pressor system is involved in the AC-emotional circuit. The present study demonstrates that injection of receptor blocker into each nucleus in the SL-ACh pressor pathway can reverse the AC pressor response, proving that the SL-HB (and HB-posterior hypothalamus)-LC-RVL pressor system is a component of the AC-emotional pressor circuit.

Extrinsic and intrinsic substance P innervation of the rat lateral septal area calbindin cells

The electrophysiological observations that substance P administration to the lateral septal area elicits both excitatory and inhibitory responses, together with earlier reports on the multiple sources of substance P innervation of the septum, implies that these axons with distinct origins have different functions. This prompted us to examine the origin and neurochemical character of substance P afferents to the lateral septal area. Chronic surgical isolation of the septum from its ventral afferents and retrograde tracer experiments using wheat germ agglutinin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase, both followed by an immunostaining for substance P, were employed to elucidate the origin of these axon terminals. In order to assess the possible co-existence of substance P with other neurotransmitter substances in the parent cells of the septopetal projections, co-localization studies for substance P and choline acetyltransferase, as well as substance P and GABA, were performed. The comparative distribution of substance P fibers and septal calbindin-containing neurons was also investigated using correlated light and electron microscopic double immunostaining. The results are summarized as follows: (i) the substance P innervation of the lateral septal area derives from several hypothalamic nuclei (including the lateral and lateroanterior hypothalamic area, tuber cinereum and ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus) and tegmental nuclei (the majority of fibers from the laterodorsal and a few from the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus), as well as intrinsic septal cells; (ii) the septopetal substance P fibers of tegmental origin are cholinergic; intraseptal substance P neurons located in the dorsolateral part of the lateral septum also contain GABA, while substance P neurons seen on the border between the medial and lateral septal area and septopetal hypothalamic substance P cells do not contain GABA or acetylcholine; (iii) substance P fibers from pericellular baskets around calbindin-containing lateral septal neurons with a high degree of selectivity; (iv) approximately 90% of the entire calbindin cell population are postsynaptic targets of substance P axons; (v) their terminals contact the soma and the dendrites of these cells, among them the somatospiny neurons; and (vi) the extrinsic substance P boutons establish asymmetric, while the intrinsic substance P axon terminals form symmetric membrane specializations. Because neurons in the lateral septal area receive hippocampal input and project massively to hypothalamic areas, the different types of substance P input on these neurons can modify the information flow arriving from the hippocampus to diencephalic brain structures at the level of the lateral septal area.

Brain kallikrein-kinin system abnormalities in spontaneously hypertensive rats

The objective of the present study was to determine whether the brain kallikrein-kinin system differs between spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) and if so, whether any detected differences occur before the development of hypertension in SHR. We measured cerebrospinal fluid levels of various components of the system in adult and young prehypertensive SHR and WKY. Cerebrospinal fluid kinin concentration and appearance rate were higher in SHR. Cerebrospinal fluid active kallikrein level and kininogenase activity were also higher in adult SHR. In addition, cerebrospinal fluid kinin concentration and appearance rate were higher in prehypertensive, 5- to 6-week-old SHR compared with age-matched WKY. However, no differences in cerebrospinal fluid kallikrein or kininogenase activity were observed between the two strains of young rats. Cerebrospinal fluid kinin concentration was higher in young versus adult rats of the same strain. In WKY, cerebrospinal fluid kallikrein also decreased with age although cerebrospinal fluid kallikrein concentration did not decrease in young and adult SHR. Together, these data suggest that there is a hyperactive kallikrein-kinin system in the brain of SHR that may contribute to the hypertensive state in this animal model.

The role of bradykinin in the etiology of vasogenic brain edema and perilesional brain dysfunction

The feline infusion model of brain edema was used to evaluate the role of bradykinin in the etiology and pathophysiology of vasogenic brain edema. Bradykinin (3 or 90 ug in 600 microL saline) did not alter normocapnic regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) nor induce specific changes in either the somatosensory (SEP) or motor (MEP) evoked potentials. The mean increases in ICP (from 4.5 to 16.1 mmHg) and peri-infusion white matter water content (from 69.4 to 79.8 ml/100 g tissue), mean decrease in lumped craniospinal compliance (from 0.040 to 0.014 ml/mmHg) and local histological changes were all similar to those after 600 microL saline infusion. The interstitial bradykinin infusion caused focal blood-brain-barrier (BBB) opening to Evans Blue dye and was chemotaxic for granulocytes. After the infusion there was a global loss of rCBF CO2 reactivity but there was no ischemia at normocapnia. These results show that bradykinin in brain edema fluid, at concentrations greater than those found in neuropathological conditions, can open the BBB of normal cerebral parenchymal capillaries and cause vascular dysregulation. In neuropathological conditions bradykinin may therefore potentiate formation of vasogenic brain edema but does not contribute to perilesional brain dysfunction.

Lesions of the medial septal nucleus produce a long-lasting inhibition of T lymphocyte proliferation

The influence of the central cholinergic system on the immune system was studied in Wistar rats by lesioning the medial septal nucleus. This lesion inhibited T cell proliferation of splenocytes and thymocytes induced by the mitogens concanavalin A (Con A), phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) up to 25 days and did not affect proliferation at 40 days after lesioning. In contrast, the response to the B cell mitogen lipopolysaccharide from E. coli (LPS) was not affected at any time. These findings suggest a regulatory role of the cholinergic medial septal nucleus on T lymphocyte proliferation.

Cholinergic hyperactivity in the lateral septal area of spontaneously hypertensive rats: depressor effect of hemicholinium-3 and pirenzepine

In the lateral septal area of spontaneously hypertensive rats, but not in Wistar-Kyoto rats, the selective M1 antagonist, pirenzepine, and the depletion of acetylcholine storage, by hemicholinium-3 (HC-3), decreased blood pressure. The selective M1 agonist McNeil-A-343, produced a pressor response only after treatment of the lateral septal area with HC-3 in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Carbachol, at doses that mainly affect M2 muscarinic receptors, caused no cardiovascular changes in either strain, pointing to the main intervention of the M1 subtype of muscarinic receptor in the hypertensive condition. In addition, increases in the density of binding sites for [3H]QNB and in Vmax of sodium-dependent, HC-3-inhibitable, high affinity uptake of choline were demonstrated, without significant changes of the activity of choline acetyltransferase in the lateral septal area of spontaneously hypertensive rats. These results suggest that a hyperactivity of the cholinergic system of this area could play a role in the development and/or maintenance of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Angiotensin converting enzyme activity in the amygdaloid complex in a neurogenic hypertensive model

The bilateral destruction of the ventral noradrenergic pathway induced by 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) administration into the ventral pons led to an increase in arterial blood pressure (ABP) and norepinephrine depletion in the amygdaloid complex, nucleus accumbens, septal area and olfactory bulb. Specific angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity was significantly increased only in the amygdaloid complex (Control: 4.56 +/- 0.95; Vehicle: 4.08 +/- 1.07; 6-OHDA: 11.76 +/- 1.84). A significant correlation between arterial blood pressure and specific ACE activity levels in the amygdaloid complex was observed (r: 0.775; p less than 0.002). These results suggest that an increase in specific ACE activity of the amygdaloid complex after norepinephrine depletion could play a role in the development of hypertension in this model.

Serotonin mediates cardiovascular responses to acetylcholine, bradykinin, angiotensin II and norepinephrine in the lateral septal area of the rat brain

The infusion of acetylcholine, bradykinin, angiotensin II, norepinephrine and serotonin into the lateral septal area produced a dose-dependent increase of arterial blood pressure and heart rate. A pattern of inhibition of these cardiovascular responses, produced by pretreatment of the lateral septal area with phentolamine, 6-hydroxydopamine, methysergide and 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine was disclosed. These results suggest that the effects of acetylcholine, bradykinin and partially of angiotensin II, depend on the release of norepinephrine and the actions of this neurotransmitter in turn depend on the integrity of the serotonergic system in the lateral septal area.

Muscarinic M1 receptors in the lateral septal area mediate cardiovascular responses to cholinergic agonists and bradykinin: supersensitivity induced by chronic treatment with atropine

The infusion of pilocarpine, acetylcholine, bradykinin and the selective M1 muscarinic agonist McNeil-A-343 into the lateral septal area produced a dose-dependent increase of arterial blood pressure and heart rate. The M1 muscarinic agonist carbamylcholine that causes a rise in arterial blood pressure when injected into the anterior lateral ventricles did not produce any cardiovascular effects when infused into the lateral septal area. Chronic treatment with atropine induced supersensitivity to the muscarinic agonists and a significant increase in the number of muscarinic receptors. In this study bradykinin failed to produce any significant change in cardiovascular activity. Pirenzepine, a M1 muscarinic blocking agent, inhibited completely the effect of both muscarinic agonists and bradykinin on cardiovascular activity. In fact, in vitro studies shows that the displacement of the binding of [3H]QNB by pirenzepine is compatible with the presence of the M1 subtype of muscarinic receptor in the lateral septal area, where it may play a major role on cardiovascular regulation.