Skip to main content
. 2013 Mar;11(2):141–159. doi: 10.2174/1570159X11311020002

Table 1.

Summary of Main Findings and Mechanisms Associated with BNST Control of Cardiovascular Function

Animal Model Treatment (Dose) Local Mechanism within the BNST Effects (Peripheral Mechanism) Reference
Cardiovascular responses
Noradrenaline (10nmol) - Co-activation of α1- and α2-adrenoceptor
- Negatively modulated by β1 -adrenoceptor
↑ blood pressure
↓ HR (vasopressin release into the circulation)
Crestani et al, 2007; Crestani et al, 2008.
Glutamate (0.25 - 1 M) - Co-ativation of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors ↓blood pressure
↓ HR (Decrease in vascular and cardiac sympathetic outflow)
Ciriello & Janssen, 1993*; Geslema et al, 1993; Hatam & Nasimi, 2007*
Bicuculline Methiodide (100 pmol) GABAA receptor antagonist ↑ blood pressure
↑ HR
(vasopressin release into the circulation and cardiac sympathetic activation, respectively)
Hatam et al, 2009*
Carbachol (0.1 - 3 nmol) M2 receptor activation ↑ blood pressure
↓ HR (vasopressin release into the circulation)
Alves et al, 2007
Acetylcholine (6 nmol) Muscarinic receptor activation ↑ blood pressure
none effect HR
Nasimi & Hatam, 2011*
CRF (0.042 nmol) CRF receptors agonist ↑ HR Nijsen et al, 2001
Baroreflex Modulation
CoCl2 (1 nmol) Synaptic blocker Conscious animals
↑ reflex bradycardia none effect reflex tachycardia
Anesthetized animals
↓ reflex bradycardia
Crestani et al., 2006; Nasimi and Hatam, 2011*
WB4101 (15 nmol) α1 - adrenoceptor antagonist ↑ reflex bradycardia (modulation of cardiac parasympathetic activity) Crestani et al., 2008
LY235959 (4 nmol) NMDA receptor antagonist ↑ reflex bradycardia Alves et al., 2009
NPLA (0.04 nmol) Carboxy-PTIO (1 nmol) nNOS inhibitor and NO scavenger, respectively ↑ reflex bradycardia Alves et al., 2009
Acetylcholine (6 nmol) Muscarinic receptor activation ↓ reflex bradycardia Nasimi and Hatam, 2011*
Cannabidiol (60 nmol)
8-OH-DPAT (4 nmol)
5-HT1A receptor activation ↑ reflex bradycardia Alves et al., 2011
Chemoreflex Modulation
CoCl2 (1 nmol) Synaptic blocker None effect Granjeiro et al., 2012
Restraint stress
CoCl2 (1 nmol) Synaptic blocker ↑ tachycardiac response none effect pressor response Crestani et al., 2009
WB4101 (15 nmol) α1 - adrenoceptor antagonist None effect pressor response
↑ tachycardiac response (modulation of cardiac parasympathetic activity)
Crestani et al., 2009
Cannabidiol (30 and 60 nmol) 5-HT1A receptor activation ↑ tachycardiac response none effect pressor response Gomes et al., 2012
Contextual fear conditioning
α-helical CRF (9-41) (0.052 nmol) CRF antagonist ↑ tachycardiac response (modulation of cardiac parasympathetic activity) Nijsen et al., 2001
CoCl2 (1 nmol) Synaptic blocker ↓ pressor response
↓ tachycardiac response
Resstel et al., 2008
WB4101 (1.7 nmol) α1 - adrenoceptor antagonist ↓ pressor response
↓ tachycardiac response
↓ fall in tail cutaneous temperature
Hott et al., 2012
CGP20712 (4.5 nmol) β1 -adrenoceptor antagonist ↓ pressor response
↓ tachycardiac response
↓ fall in tail cutaneous temperature
Hott et al., 2012
Cannabidiol (30 and 60 nmol) 5-HT1A receptor activation ↓ pressor response
↓ tachycardiac response
Gomes et al., 2012
Dynamic exercise
CoCl2 (1 nmol) Synaptic blocker ↓ pressor response
↓ tachycardiac response
Crestani et al., 2010
WB4101 (10 nmol) α1 - adrenoceptor antagonist ↑ tachycardiac response None effect pressor response Alves et al., 2011
RX821002 (10 nmol) α2 - adrenoceptor antagonist ↓ pressor response none effect tachycardiac response Alves et al., 2011
*

anesthetized animals.

↑: increase,↓: decrease, CRF: corticotropin-releasing factor,HR: heart rate, nNOS: neuronal nitric oxide synthase, NPLA: N-propyl-L-arginine.