Previous studies from this laboratory have indicated an important role for angiotensin-sensitive anteroventral third ventricular (AV3V) brain structures in normal regulation of arterial pressure and development of renal hypertension. The present experiments examined the effects of electrical stimulation of these periventricular areas on arterial pressure and regional blood flow in the anesthetized rat. Electrodes were placed in the AV3V region 3–10 days prior to acute studies. Blood flow was measured in extracorporeal blood flow circuits. Electrical stimulation produced only small changes in arterial pressure. Despite the small pressure changes, stimulation caused marked frequency-dependent alterations in regional blood flow. Renal and splanchnic flows were reduced while hindlimb flow was increased. Resistance changes were abolished by surgical denervation or ganglionic blockade but were unaffected by adrenalectomy. Hemodynamic responses to AV3V stimulation were abolished by a lesion in the area of the median eminence. It may be concluded that AV3V stimulation, through activation of pathways descending through the ventromedial hypothalamus-median eminence region, produces profound regional blood flow shifts without greatly altering arterial pressure.
The effect of electrical stimulation of ventromedial hypothalamus on gastric functions in rats