PURINERGIC TRANSMISSION AND CENTRAL AUTONOMIC REGULATION

大脑以复杂的方式调节身体功能。一个这样的例子是血压和心率的调节。这是通过一个相互连接的脑核网络来实现的，该网络感知来自主要血管的信息，并整合适当的反应以维持现状。一种叫做神经递质的化学物质传递神经信息，其中一个例子是嘌呤，包括ATP和腺苷。ATP和腺苷都可以在许多大脑区域起作用，以调节血压和心率。该项目旨在阐明嘌呤在特定脑核团中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如何引起的理解至关重要，因此提供了改进的治疗策略。

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.