Both brain and peripheral nitric oxide (NO) play a role in the control of blood pressure and circ ulatory homeostasis. Central NO production seems to counteract angiotensin II-induced enhancement of sympathetic tone. The aim of our study was to evaluate NO synthase (NOS) activity and protein expression of its three isoforms - neuronal (nNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS) and inducible (iNOS) - in two brain regions involved in blood pressure control (diencephalon and brainstem) as well as in the kidney of young adult rats with either genetic (12-week-old SHR) or salt- induced hypertension (8-week-old Dahl rats). We have demonstrated reduced nNOS and iNOS expression in brainstem of both hypertensive models. In SHR this abnormality was accompanied by attenuated NOS activity and was corrected by chronic captopril treatment which prevented the development of genetic hypertension. In salt hypertensive Dahl rats nNOS and iNOS expression was also decrea sed in the diencephalon where neural structures important for salt hypertension development are located. As far as peripheral NOS activity and expression is concerned, renal eNOS expression was considerably reduced in both genetic and salt-induced hypertension. In conclusions, we disclosed similar changes of NO system in the brainstem (but not in the diencephalon) of rats with genetic and salt-induced hypertension. Decreased nNOS ex pression was associated with increased blood pressure due to enhanced sympathetic tone., S. Hojná, J. Kuneš, J. Zicha., and Obsahuje bibliografii
The action of phenytoin was studied in acute experiments in rats with brainstem transection at the midcollicular level. Symmetrical epileptogenic foci were elicited in sensorimotor cortical areas of both hemispheres by local application of penicillin. Seven rats formed a control group, ten animals were pretreated with phenytoin (60 mg/kg i.p., 10 min before penicillin application). Synchronization of interictal discharges in control rats was delayed in comparison to animals with an intact brainstem; phenytoin did not influence this synchronization. Spontaneous transition of interictal into ictal activity was not abolished by phenytoin, i.e. in cerveau isolé preparations phenytoin lost this activity. The loss of anticonvulsant activity was not complete. Ictal episodes were modified; they started as very short ones and their duration progressively increased. Structures localized below the level of transection represent a site of at least one of the mechanisms of phenytoin anticonvulsant action.