PURINERGIC TRANSMISSION AND CENTRAL AUTONOMIC REGULATION

大脑以一种复杂的方式调节身体功能。血压和心率的调节就是这样一个例子。这是通过一个相互连接的大脑核团网络实现的，这些核团从主要血管感知信息，并整合适当的反应来维持现状。一种名为神经递质的化学物质传递神经信息，其中一个例子是嘌呤，它包括三磷酸腺苷和腺苷。三磷酸腺苷和腺苷都可以在大脑的多个区域发挥作用，调节血压和心率。该项目旨在描述嘌呤在特定脑核内调节心血管系统的机制。考虑到心血管疾病对医疗保健系统造成的巨大经济负担，这项研究对于增加我们对高血压等疾病可能产生的原因的了解，从而提供改进的治疗策略至关重要。

The brain regulates bodily functions in a complex manner. One such example is the regulation of blood pressure and heart rate. This is achieved by an interconnected network of brain nuclei that sense information from the major blood vessels and integrate appropriate responses to maintain the status quo. Chemicals called neurotransmitters convey the nervous messages, and one such example is purines, which include ATP and adenosine. Both ATP and adenosine can act in a number of brain regions to modulate blood pressure and heart rate. This project is designed to characterise the mechanism by which purines act within specific brain nuclei to regulate the cardiovascular system. Considering the large economic burden on the healthcare system caused by cardiovascular disease, this research is vital to increase our understanding of how diseases such as hypertension may be caused, and therefore provide improved therapeutic strategies.