. Hypertension alters GABA receptor-mediated inhibition of neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 285: R1276-R1286, 2003 10.1152/ajpregu. 00255.2003.-Previous studies have demonstrated that microinjection of baclofen, a GABA B receptor agonist, into the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) results in an enhanced pressor response in hypertensive (HT) rats compared with normotensive (NT) rats, suggesting a possible alteration in the responses of neurons in this area to activation of GABA B receptors. The following studies were designed to determine whether HT alters the sensitivity of neurons in the NTS to GABA receptor agonists. Sham-operated NT and unilateral nephrectomized, renal-wrap HT Sprague-Dawley rats were anesthetized, and the responses of NTS neurons receiving aortic nerve (AN) afferent inputs to iontophoretic application of GABA, the GABA A receptor agonist muscimol, and the GABA B agonist baclofen were examined. The AN input was classified as monosynaptic (MSN) if the cell responded to each of two stimuli separated by 5 ms with an action potential. If the cell did not respond, the input was considered polysynaptic (PSN). In MSNs, inhibition of AN-evoked discharge by GABA was not altered in 1 wk of HT but was reduced in 4 wk of HT, whereas in PSNs, sensitivity to GABA was reduced at 1 and 4 wk of HT. In HT rats, inhibition of AN-evoked discharge by baclofen was enhanced in MSNs, but not in PSNs, after 1 and 4 wk of HT, whereas inhibition by muscimol was reduced in MSNs and PSNs at 1 and 4 wk of HT. Changes in sensitivity to muscimol and baclofen within MSNs were the same whether the MSN received a slowly or a rapidly conducted AN afferent input. The results demonstrate that early in HT the sensitivity of NTS neurons to inhibitory amino acids is altered and that these changes are maintained for Ն4 wk. The alterations are dependent on the subtype of GABA receptor being activated and whether the neuron receives a mono-or polysynaptic baroreceptor afferent input. (12), and GABA B receptors are metabotropic, G protein-coupled receptors that mediate presynaptic and postsynaptic inhibition by reductions in calcium conductance or increases in potassium conductance, respectively (8). Activation of GABA A receptors on NTS neurons results in chloride-dependent membrane hyperpolarization and inhibition of baroreceptor-evoked discharge (10,19). Activation of GABA B receptors can evoke presynaptic and/or postsynaptic inhibition of NTS neurons (1, 19) and inhibit baroreceptor-evoked discharge in NTS neurons (19).The sensitivity of NTS neurons to the selective GABA A agonist muscimol was the same whether the neuron received a monosynaptic or a polysynaptic aortic nerve (AN) input (19). In contrast, NTS neurons receiving a monosynaptic AN input were much less sensitive to the inhibitory effects of the GABA B agonist baclofen than were NTS neurons receiving a polysynaptic AN input (19). An in vitro study reported that presynaptic inhibition of monosynaptic tractus inputs t...