This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Mueller, S. M. Articles by Overhage, J. M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Mueller, S. M. Articles by Overhage, J. M.

(Stroke. 1982;13:83.)
© 1982 American Heart Association, Inc.

ARTICLES

Sympathetic Nerves Protect Against Blood-Brain Barrier Disruption in the Spontaneously Hypertensive Rat

Shirley M. Mueller, M.D., M.S.; Phillip J. Ertel, B.S.; David L. Felten, M.D., PH.D. J. Marc Overhage, B.S.

Departments of Neurology and Anatomy, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1100 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202.

Correspondent Address: Shirley M. Mueller, M.D., Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Regenstrief Health Center, 1001 West 10th Street, Indianapolis, Indian 46202.

The cerebral vessels of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) are reported to have an increased luminal size and decreased wall thickness after chronic sympathetic denervation. In order to evaluate a possible physiological significance of this observation, we studied blood-brain barrier protein transfer in two month old SHR and their normotensive controls, Wistar-Kyoto (WKY), during profound vasodilation stimuli one month after a unilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy. Our hypothesis was that during acute vasodilation, protein transfer, which is dependent on vessel tension (tension = pressure X radius/wall thickness), would be greater in the vasculature of the chronically denervated (De) than in contralateral innervated hemisphere (In). Vasodilation was induced with acute hypertension (norepinephrine) and seizures (bicucilline). Immediately prior, the cervical trunk to the innervated hemisphere was sectioned to prevent acute sympathetic neuronal effects. Protein transfer was assessed qualitatively with Evans blue dye and quantitatively with radio-iodinated albumin. Successful chronic denervation was demonstrated by the absence of histofluorescence in De. Evans blue dye staining of SHR (n = 3) cerebral hemispheres was greater in De than in In. Radioiodinated albumin protein transfer was elevated in SHR De compared to In in each of eight animals studied (De-In = 0.16 ± 0.04%*, *p < 0.01); WKY (n = 8) De protein transfer was not different from In (De-In = 0.07 ± 0.05%). These results suggest that the trophic influence of sympathetic nerves on SHR cerebral vessels contributes to protection of the blood-brain barrier during hypertension and seizures.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. J. Cipolla, N. DeLance, and L. Vitullo Pregnancy Prevents Hypertensive Remodeling of Cerebral Arteries: A Potential Role in the Development of Eclampsia Hypertension, March 1, 2006; 47(3): 619 - 626. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]