In renovascular hypertension, TNF-α type-1 receptors in the area postrema mediate increases in cardiac and renal sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure

Abstract

Aims: Neuroinflammation is a common feature in renovascular, obesity-related, and angiotensin II mediated hypertension. There is evidence that increased release of the pro-inflammatory cytokine tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) contributes to the development of the hypertension, but the underlying neural mechanisms are unclear. Here, we investigated whether TNF-α stimulates neurons in the area postrema (AP), a circumventricular organ, to elicit sympathetic excitation, and increases in blood pressure (BP). Methods and results: In rats with renovascular hypertension, AP neurons that expressed TNF-α type-1 receptor (TNFR1) remained constantly activated (expressed c-Fos) and injection of TNFR1 ne..