Vestibulosympathetic reflex mediates the pressor response to hypergravity in conscious rats: contribution of the diencephalon

To investigate the mechanism of arterial pressure (AP) regulation during hypergravity, the AP response to gravitational force was examined in conscious rats and the AP was found to increase, depending on the degree of gravity load induced by centrifugation. At 20 s after application of 2, 3, or 5 G, the AP increased by 9±2, 20±3, or 24±3 mm Hg, respectively. The AP increase during first 60 s was suppressed by vestibular lesion or pretreatment with hexamethonium, suggesting that the vestibular system and sympathetic nerve system be involved, respectively, in the afferent and efferent pathways. To further examine the central pathway of this response, Fos expression in the brain was examined after exposure to 5 G for 90 min. Intense Fos expression was seen in the medial vestibular nucleus, paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, autonomic nuclei in the brain stem in intact rats, but not in rats with vestibular lesion. To examine the involvement of the diencephalic nuclei in this pressor response, AP was measured under hypergravity in rats with midcollicular transection. In these rats, the AP change was minimal at 2, 3, and 5 G, indicating that nuclei rostral to the transection level were involved in the pressor response. These results indicate that output from the vestibular system project to the diencephalon, and activation of diencephalic nuclei is indispensable to the pressor response via the sympathetic nerve system.