The course of paraventricular hypothalamic efferents to autonomic structures in medulla and spinal cord

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(85)90554-2

Brain Research

Volume 329, Issues 1–2, 11 March 1985, Pages 374-378

https://doi.org/10.1016/0006-8993(85)90554-2 Get rights and content

Abstract

By application of the anterograde transport technique ofPhaseolus vulgaris leuco-agglutinin the descending autonomic projection of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus was investigated. ThePhaseolus lectin technique allowed the detection of the cells of origin in the paraventricular PVN, the precise position of two distinct descending axon pathways and the detailed morphology of terminal structures in midbrain, medulla oblongata and spinal cord.

Reference (19)

GerfenC.R. et al.
An anterograde neuroanatomical tracing method that shows the detailed morphology of neurons, their axons and terminals: immunohistochemical localization of an axonally transported plant lectin, Phaseolus vulgaris, leucoagglutinin (PHA-L)
Brain Research
(1984)
GoldR.H. et al.
Paraventricular area: critical focus of a longitudinal neurocircuitry mediating food intake
Physiol. Behav.
(1977)
LeibowitzS.F.
Paraventricular nucleus: a primary site mediating adrenergic stimulation of feeding and drinking
Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav.
(1978)
LeibowitzS.F. et al.
Hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus lesions produce overeacting and obesity in the rat
Physiol. Behav.
(1981)
OnoT. et al.
Paraventricular nucleus connections to spinal cord and pituitary
Neurosci. Lett.
(1978)
SaperC.B. et al.
Direct hypothalamo-autonomic connections
Brain Research
(1976)
SwansonL.W. et al.
Biochemical specificity in central pathways related to peripheral and intracerebral homeostatic function
Neurosci. Lett.
(1980)
SwansonL.W. et al.
Separate neurons in the paraventricular nucleus project to the median eminence and to the medulla or spinal cord
Brain Research
(1980)
BuysR.M.
Intra- and extrahypothalamic vasopressin and oxytocin pathways in the rat. Pathways to the limbic system, medulla oblongata and spinal cord
Cell Tiss. Res.
(1978)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (445)

Emotion in action: When emotions meet motor circuits
2023, Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
The brain is a remarkably complex organ responsible for a wide range of functions, including the modulation of emotional states and movement. Neuronal circuits are believed to play a crucial role in integrating sensory, cognitive, and emotional information to ultimately guide motor behavior. Over the years, numerous studies employing diverse techniques such as electrophysiology, imaging, and optogenetics have revealed a complex network of neural circuits involved in the regulation of emotional or motor processes. Emotions can exert a substantial influence on motor performance, encompassing both everyday activities and pathological conditions. The aim of this review is to explore how emotional states can shape movements by connecting the neural circuits for emotional processing to motor neural circuits. We first provide a comprehensive overview of the impact of different emotional states on motor control in humans and rodents. In line with behavioral studies, we set out to identify emotion-related structures capable of modulating motor output, behaviorally and anatomically. Neuronal circuits involved in emotional processing are extensively connected to the motor system. These circuits can drive emotional behavior, essential for survival, but can also continuously shape ongoing movement. In summary, the investigation of the intricate relationship between emotion and movement offers valuable insights into human behavior, including opportunities to enhance performance, and holds promise for improving mental and physical health. This review integrates findings from multiple scientific approaches, including anatomical tracing, circuit-based dissection, and behavioral studies, conducted in both animal and human subjects. By incorporating these different methodologies, we aim to present a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of the emotional modulation of movement in both physiological and pathological conditions.
The hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus as a central hub for the estrogenic modulation of neuroendocrine function and behavior
2022, Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology
Citation Excerpt :
The dorsomedial cap projects to the lateral gray horn of the spinal cord (intermediolateral cell columns) (lp, Fig. 1). The ventral and posterior regions project to a wide range of brainstem and spinal cord regions (dp and lp, Fig. 1), as the dorsal vagal motor nucleus, the nucleus of the solitary tract, the periaqueductal gray, the dorsal raphe, the locus coeruleus, the parabrachial nucleus and the ventrolateral reticular nucleus, the sacral spinal cord (Hosoya et al., 1991; Luiten et al., 1985; Pyner and Coote, 2000; Saper et al., 1976; Shafton et al., 1998; Shapiro and Miselis, 1985; Yeh et al., 2012). The fibers of paraventricular‐spinal pathway reach the caudal regions of the spinal cord ending in the central gray of all levels (Swanson and McKellar, 1979).
Estradiol and hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) help coordinate reproduction with body physiology, growth and metabolism. PVN integrates hormonal and neural signals originating in the periphery, generating an output mediated both by its long-distance neuronal projections, and by a variety of neurohormones produced by its magnocellular and parvocellular neurosecretory cells. Here we review the cyto-and chemo-architecture, the connectivity and function of PVN and the sex-specific regulation exerted by estradiol on PVN neurons and on the expression of neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, neuropeptides and neurohormones in PVN. Classical and non-classical estrogen receptors (ERs) are expressed in neuronal afferents to PVN and in specific PVN interneurons, projecting neurons, neurosecretory neurons and glial cells that are involved in the input–output integration and coordination of neurohormonal signals. Indeed, PVN ERs are known to modulate body homeostatic processes such as autonomic functions, stress response, reproduction, and metabolic control. Finally, the functional implications of the estrogenic modulation of the PVN for body homeostasis are discussed.
Alpha adrenergic receptor signaling in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus is diminished by the chronic intermittent hypoxia model of sleep apnea
2021, Experimental Neurology
Chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is a model for obstructive sleep apnea. The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus has been suggested to contribute to CIH-induced exaggerated cardiorespiratory reflexes, sympathoexcitation and hypertension. This may occur, in part, via activation of the dense catecholaminergic projections to the PVN that originate in the brainstem. However, the contribution of norepinephrine (NE) and activation of its alpha-adrenergic receptors (α-ARs) in the PVN after CIH exposure is unknown. We hypothesized CIH would increase the contribution of catecholaminergic input. To test this notion, we determined the expression of α-AR subtypes, catecholamine terminal density, and synaptic properties of PVN parvocellular neurons in response to α-AR activation in male Sprague-Dawley normoxic (Norm) and CIH exposed rats. CIH decreased mRNA for α_1d and α_2b AR. Dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH) terminals in the PVN were similar between groups. NE and the α₁-AR agonist phenylephrine (PE) increased sEPSC frequency after Norm but not CIH. Block of α₁-ARs with prazosin alone did not alter sEPSCs after either Norm or CIH but did prevent agonist augmentation of sEPSC frequency following normoxia. These responses to NE were mimicked by PE during action potential block suggesting presynaptic terminal alterations in CIH. Altogether, these results demonstrate that α₁-AR activation participates in neuronal responses in Norm, but are attenuated after CIH. These results may provide insight into the cardiovascular, respiratory and autonomic nervous systems alterations in obstructive sleep apnea.
Identification of the human sympathetic connectome involved in blood pressure regulation
2019, NeuroImage
Citation Excerpt :
Coordinates in MNI space are provided in Table 1, together with T-scores and sizes of the signifcant clusters (Table 1). Whilst the RVLM is the brain’s major source of inputs to the sympathetic preganglionic neurons located in the lateral horn of the spinal cord, studies in experimental animals have also shown that the hypothalamus, including the paraventricular nucleus and lateral hypothalamus, also sends direct projections to the lateral horn and to other cardiovascular related regions, such as the RVLM and NTS (Luiten et al., 1985). Furthermore, the NTS projects to the hypothalamus and there is evidence that the efferent cardiac vagal component of the baroreceptor reflexes can be inhibited by the hypothalamus (Gerard et al., 1970; Guyenet, 2006).
We review our recent data obtained on the cortical and subcortical components of the human sympathetic connectome - the network of regions involved in the sympathetic control of blood pressure. Specifically, we functionally identified the human homologue of the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM), the primary premotor sympathetic nucleus in the medulla responsible for generating sympathetic vasoconstrictor drive. By performing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain at the same time as recording muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA), via a microlectrode inserted into the common peroneal nerve, we are able to identify areas of the brain involved in the generation of sympathetic outflow to the muscle vascular bed, a major contributor to blood pressure regulation. Together with functional connectivity analysis of areas identified through MSNA-coupled fMRI, we have established key components of the human sympathetic connectome and their roles in the control of blood pressure. Whilst our studies confirm the role of lower brainstem regions such as the NTS, CVLM and RVLM in baroreflex control of MSNA, our findings indicate that the insula – hypothalamus – PAG – RVLM circuitry is tightly coupled to MSNA at rest. This fits with data obtained from experimental animals, but also emphasizes the role of areas above the brainstem in the regulation of blood pressure.
Effects of mu opioid receptors in paraventricular nucleus on ejaculation through mediating sympathetic nerve system activity
2019, Neuropharmacology
To investigate the roles of mu opioid receptors (MORs) in paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) on ejaculation and its underlying mechanism in the rats, we performed copulation behavioral testing and acute experiments. During the acute experiments, mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), bulbospongiosus muscle-electromyogram (BSM-EMG) and pressure of vas deferens (P_VD) were all recorded. The expression levels and distributions of opioid receptors were also assessed in PVN of male rats. Moreover, adeno-associated virus type 1 (AAV1) was microinjected into PVN to demonstrate whether there are direct projections from PVN to lumbar spinothalamic (LSt) cells. We found that microinjection of MOR agonist, D-A1a2-NM9-Phe4-Gly(ol)5enkephalin (DAGO), into the PVN prolonged the intromission latency and inhibited ejaculation (P = 0.0241, P = 0.0473, respectively), while the opposed results appeared in CTAP (D-Phe-Cys-Tyr-D-Trp-Arg-Thr-Pen-Thr-NH2, MOR antagonist) group (P = 0.0021, P = 0.0286, respectively). Moreover, DAGO caused a significant decrease in MAP and HR (P = 0.0065, P = 0.0030, respectively), and P_VD decreased significantly after DAGO microinjection in PVN (P = 0.0383). CTAP not only blocked the effect of DAGO but also significantly increased MAP, HR and P_VD (P = 0.0003, P = 0.0010, P = 0.0074, respectively). Meanwhile, a significant increase was observed in BSM-EMG activity after microinjecting of CTAP (P = 0.0022), accompanied by visible BSM contraction. Additionally, anterograde monosynaptic transneuronal tracer AAV1 labeling revealed that neurons in PVN projected directly to LSt cells in L3-4 spinal cord. These results indicate that MORs in PVN centrally mediate ejaculation by regulating the sympathetic outflow, which may be treated as a therapeutic target for ejaculation disorders in the future.
Sex and family history of cardiovascular disease influence heart rate variability during stress among healthy adults
2018, Journal of Psychosomatic Research
Citation Excerpt :
The physiological basis for the sex effects may originate in the central nervous system. It has been found that oxytocin-type neurons from the paraventricular nucleus synapse on cardiovagal neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus, and the nucleus ambiguus [24,25]. Excitation of these neurons increases vagal outflow while having no effect on sympathetic outflow [25].
Studies of sex differences in heart rate variability (HRV) typically have not accounted for the influence of family history (FH) of cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study evaluated sex differences in HRV response to speech stress among men and women (age range 30–49 years) with and without a documented FH of CVD.
Participants were 77 adults (mean age = 39.8 ± 6.2 years; range: 30–49 years; 52% female) with positive FH (FH+, n = 32) and negative FH (FH−, n = 45) of CVD, verified with relatives of participants. Cardiac activity for all participants was recorded via electrocardiogram during a standardized speech stress task with three phases: 5-minute rest, 5-minute speech, and 5-minute recovery. Outcomes included time domain and frequency domain indicators of HRV and heart rate (HR) at rest and during stress. Data were analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance, with sex and FH as between subject variables and time/phase as a within subject variable.
Women exhibited higher HR than did men and greater HR reactivity in response to the speech stress. However, women also exhibited greater HRV in both the time and frequency domains. FH+ women generally exhibited elevated HRV, despite the elevated risk of CVD associated with FH+.
Although women participants exhibited higher HR at rest and during stress, women (both FH+ and FH−) also exhibited elevated HRV reactivity, reflecting greater autonomic control. Thus, enhanced autonomic function observed in prior studies of HRV among women is also evident among FH+ women during a standardized stress task.

View all citing articles on Scopus

: This study was supported by the Foundation for Medical Research FUNGO (Grant 13-46-36) which is subsidized by the Dutch Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research.

View full text

The course of paraventricular hypothalamic efferents to autonomic structures in medulla and spinal cord

Abstract

Brain Research

Physiol. Behav.

Pharmacol. Biochem. Behav.

Physiol. Behav.

Neurosci. Lett.

Brain Research

Neurosci. Lett.

Brain Research

Intra- and extrahypothalamic vasopressin and oxytocin pathways in the rat. Pathways to the limbic system, medulla oblongata and spinal cord

Cell Tiss. Res.