We defined the central circuit innervating various regions of the rat heart using a neurotropic herpesvirus as a transneuronal tracer. Location of viral antigens in the brain after cardiac injection of three strains of pseudorabies virus (PRV) provided insight into vagal preganglionic neurons and their connected interneurons. At short survival times, labeled vagal preganglionic neurons were localized in both the nucleus ambiguus (NA) and the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV), and in an arc-like band through the reticular formation between the NA and the DMV. The amount of DMV labeling was dependent on viral strain. Similar distributions of labeled neurons were observed following either ganglionic, sinoatrial node, or ventricular injections. At intermediate survival times postcardiac injection, the virus replicated in vagal preganglionic neurons and was trans- synaptically transported to interneurons observed primarily in the NA regions and in an arc-like band through the reticular formation. Labeled neurons were also observed in ventral regions of the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). At longer survival times, labeled neurons were found in various regions of the NTS with the most abundant label dorsal and dorsomedial to the solitary tract. Abundant neuronal labeling was also found in the intermediolateral cell column, the raphe nuclei, the caudal and rostral ventral lateral medulla, the A5 region, the locus coeruleus, and the lateral and paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei. These data define the central circuits including the interneuronal connections that innervate various cardiac targets.

The vagus nerve exerts a profound influence on the heart, regulating the heart rate and rhythm. An extensive vagal innervation of the cardiac ventricles and the central origin and extent of this innervation was demonstrated by transynaptic transport of pseudorabies virus with a virulent and two attenuated pseudorabies viral strains. The neurons that innervate the ventricles are numerous, and their distribution within the nucleus ambiguus and dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus is similar to that of neurons innervating other cardiac targets, such as the sino-atrial node. These data provide a neuroanatomical correlate to the physiological influence of the vagus nerve on ventricular function.

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Experiments were performed to determine if information from the kidneys projects to the rostral ventrolateral medulla. Extracellular action potentials were recorded from 148 cells within the rostral ventrolateral medulla of alpha-chloralose-anesthetized cats. Cells within the rostral ventrolateral medulla were tested for responses to electrical stimulation of both left and right renal nerves. Electrical stimulation of renal nerves excited 144 cells (97.3%) and inhibited 4. The majority of cells received either bilateral or contralateral renal nerve input. Cells with bilateral renal nerve input responded to contralateral renal nerve stimulation with a significantly greater number of impulses compared with ipsilateral renal nerve stimulation (P less than 0.05). All cells but one responding to renal nerve stimulation had convergent somatic input. Comparisons between thresholds for cell responses and activation thresholds for the A and C volleys of the compound action potential recorded in the least splanchnic nerve revealed that 44 cells required activation of A delta-fibers, and 12 cells required activation of both A delta- and C-fibers. A conditioning stimulus applied to renal nerves on one side significantly decreased the response elicited by a test stimulus applied to the renal nerves on the opposite side for at least 300 ms (P less than 0.05). The demonstration that an afferent connection exists between the kidneys and the ventrolateral medulla suggests that the rostral ventrolateral medulla may play a role in mediating supraspinal reflexes of renal origin.

Experiments were performed to determine if activation of renal receptors by occlusion of the renal artery, renal vein, or ureter would alter activity of cells within the ventrolateral medulla of the cat. Extracellular unit recordings were obtained from 195 cells located within the rostral ventrolateral medulla of 90 alpha-chloralose-anesthetized cats. Fifty-five of 195 cells (28.2%) tested for responses to renal receptor activation responded to at least one of the occlusions. Occlusion of the ureter increased the activity of 25 cells from 9.7 +/- 3.7 to 23.0 +/- 6.5 impulses/s and decreased the activity of 5 cells from 11.9 +/- 3.6 to 3.5 +/- 1.2 impulses/s. Occlusion of the renal vein increased the activity of seven cells from 7.5 +/- 3.3 to 22.3 +/- 7.3 impulses/s and decreased the activity of six cells from 13.8 +/- 3.8 to 4.1 +/- 2.0 impulses/s. Renal artery occlusion elicited solely excitatory responses from 43 cells. Thirty-one of the 43 cells increased their activity within 0-3 s of the onset of renal artery occlusion from 4.1 +/- 0.8 to 12.6 +/- 1.2 impulses/s. Renal artery occlusion increased the activity of 10 out of 43 cells with a mean latency of 26.1 +/- 6.5 s from 8.3 +/- 2.5 to 29.6 +/- 9.3 impulses/s. Twenty-four of the 55 (43.6%) responders were responsive to two or more forms of renal receptor activation. These results demonstrate that activation of renal mechanoreceptors and chemoreceptors affects cells within the ventrolateral medulla of the cat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)