Switching control of sympathetic activity from forebrain to hindbrain in chronic dehydration

Abstract

Non-technical summary Dehydration, a life-threatening condition, occurs when the body does not replace adequate water lost through urination, sweating or when ill with diarrhoea. This presents the body with a major challenge of maintaining blood pressure - essential for consciousness that is dependent on the degree of body hydration, which dictates blood volume. We know that a major control mechanism involves a brain region called the hypothalamus that automatically maintains blood pressure. Our study has described the gene networks in key brain regions involved in the response to dehydration. We reveal a new structure in the brain that regulates blood pressure in dehydration and a unique ge..