Figure 9: Proposed mechanism for catecholamine and ETs crosstalk in the OB and its contribution to chronic blood pressure elevation in DOCA-Salt hypertension.

In the glomerular lumen of the OB ET_A colocalizes with TH. In hypertensive rats increased ET_A expression would enhance TH activity and expression. Thus, the interneurons that affect the outflow of the projecting neurons (tuffed and mitral cells) would directly (blue arrow) and/or indirectly (orange arrow) modulate the information reaching the autonomic center resulting in sympathetic overflow, which would contribute to chronic blood pressure elevation. The relevance of this mechanism is revealed by acute ET_A blockade.