Regional haemodynamic responses to activation of the medial prefrontal cortex depressor region

Abstract

Electrical or chemical stimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) produces depressor and sympathoinhibitory responses. To characterise the MPFC depressor response more fully, we determined the regional haemodynamic changes which occurred in response to stimulation of the MPFC. In halothane-anaesthetised rats, we recorded arterial blood pressure and renal, superior mesenteric, and iliac arterial vascular conductance using miniaturised Doppler flow probes. Electrical stimulation of the MPFC (50-100 μA) was used to map the location of the depressor region. Increases in vascular conductance (or increases in blood flow) were recorded from the renal (+2.3±0.5 kHz/mmHg×103), mesenteric (+4...