NEUROHORMONAL CONTROL OF SALT APPETITE & BLOOD PRESSURE

本实验旨在研究脑组织中 醛固酮结合血管紧张素原基因表达调控 模型激励行为（盐消费）和一个受管制的 生理过程（循环）。 遗传因素对这些 过程将通过分析表型变异进行研究， 行为、生理和神经内分泌学 品系间和品系内繁殖的具有良好特征的纯合子大鼠 行为和心血管表型。在准确描述了 纯合子嗜盐/高血压与盐之间的差异 避免/低血压大鼠的醛固酮结合， 血管紧张素原信使RNA在脑中的表达， 将选择这些近交系的分离F2后代， 根据极端的食欲和血压， 分析这些性状之间的连锁关系。 选择之间的协变 盐食欲或血压表型和神经内分泌测量 在F2群体中的遗传连锁将提供证据，而 表型的独立分类将支持对 没有遗传联系 另外的实验将检查在细胞中的菌株差异。 脑中醛固酮结合和Ao基因表达的发展， 相对于盐的食欲和血压的发展。的 发育分析可以为神经内分泌介导 行为或心血管表型，通过评估 醛固酮结合或Ao基因变化之间的时间关系 表达和与之相关的特征。 拟议研究的心理健康相关性来自于 它将提供遗传和发展的影响， 动机行为循环控制和可能的神经内分泌 这些影响是通过什么机制来调节的。

The proposed experiments will investigate the relationship of brain aldosterone binding angiotensinogen gene expression to control of a model motivated behavior (salt consumption) and a regulated physiological process (the circulation). Genetic influences on these processes will be studied through analysis of phenotype variation in behavior, physiology and neuroendocrinology subsequent to selective inter- and intra-strain breeding homozygous rats with well characterized behavioral and cardiovascular phenotypes. After accurately describing differences between homozygous salt avid/high blood pressure and salt avoiding/low blood pressure rats in binding of aldosterone and expression of angiotensinogen messenger RNA in brain, subgroups of the segregating F2 descendants of these inbred strains will be selected, based on extremes of slat appetite and blood pressure, for a genetic analysis of linkage among these traits. Covariation between selected salt appetite or blood pressure phenotypes and neuroendocrine measures in the F2 population will provide evidence for genetic linkage, whereas independent assortment of phenotypes will support an interpretation of no genetic linkage. Additional experiments will examine strain differences in the development of aldosterone binding and Ao gene expression in the brain, relative to the development of salt appetite and blood pressure. The development analyses can provide support for neuroendocrine mediation of either the behavioral or cardiovascular phenotype by evaluating the temporal relationship between changes in aldosterone binding or Ao gene expression and the traits to which they are linked. The mental health relevance of the proposed research derives from the insights that it will provide genetic and development influences on motivated behavior, circulatory control and possible neuroendocrine mechanisms through which these influences are mediated.