Injection of resistin into the paraventricular nucleus produces a cardiovascular response that may be mediated by glutamatergic transmission in the rostral ventrolateral medulla.

OBJECTIVES: High levels of resistin are associated with metabolic diseases and their complications, including hypertension. The paraventricular nucleus (PVN) is also involved in metabolic disorders and cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension. Therefore, this study aimed to study cardiovascular (CV) responses evoked by the injection of resistin into the lateral ventricle (LV) and PVN and determine the mechanism of these responses in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR) were evaluated in urethane-anesthetized male rats (1.4 g/kg intraperitoneally) before and after all injections. This study was carried out in two stages. Resistin was injected into LV at the first stage, and AP and HR were evaluated. After that, the paraventricular, supraoptic, and dorsomedial nuclei of the hypothalamus were chosen to evaluate the gene expression of c-Fos. Afterward, resistin was injected into PVN, and cardiovascular responses were monitored. Then to detect possible neural mechanisms of resistin action, agonists or antagonists of glutamatergic, GABAergic, cholinergic, and aminergic transmissions were injected into RVLM.

RESULTS: Resistin injection into LV or PVN could increase AP and HR compared to the control group and before injection. Resistin injection into LV also increases the activity of RVLM, paraventricular, supraoptic, and dorsomedial areas. Moreover, the CV reflex created by the administration of resistin in PVN is probably mediated by glutamatergic transmission within RVLM.

CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that hypothalamic nuclei, including paraventricular, are important central areas for resistin actions, and glutamatergic transmission in RVLM may be one of the therapeutic targets for high AP in obese people or with metabolic syndrome.