Forebrain control of cardiovascular function: integrative and cellular mechanisms

血压在很大程度上由供应心脏和血管的神经控制，这种神经被称为交感神经。对人体的测量表明，交感神经的活性在一些心血管疾病中增加，包括心力衰竭和许多高血压病例。这有收缩血管和加快心率的效果，这给心脏带来了额外的负荷，可能会对心脏造成损害。目前尚不清楚是什么原因导致交感神经活性增加，但一种可能是由于一种名为血管紧张素的循环激素的作用，这种激素作用于大脑，激活中枢神经通路，最终增加交感神经活性。在这个项目中，我们的目标是检验这一假说，从而帮助解开交感神经活动和血压长期控制的机制。

Blood pressure is controlled to a large extent by nerves, known as sympathetic nerves, that supply the heart and blood vessels. Measurements in humans have shown that the activity of sympathetic nerves is increased in a number of cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure and in many cases of high blood pressure. This has the effect of constricting blood vessels and increasing heart rate, which places an additional load on the heart which can cause damage to the heart. It is not known what causes this increased sympathetic activity, but one possibility is that it is due to the action of a circulating hormone called angiotensin, which acts on the brain, activating central nerve pathways which ultimately increase sympathetic activity. In this project we aim to test this hypothesis and thus help to unravel the mechanisms involved in the long term control of sympathetic activity and blood pressure.