Coerulear activation by CRH and its role in hypertension induced by prenatal malnutrition in the rat

Abstract

The effects of intracoerulear CRH and intraparaventricular prazosin on systolic pressure, diastolic pressure and heart rate were studied in prenatally malnourished hypertensive rats. At day 40 of life, (i) malnourished rats showed enhanced systolic pressure, heart rate, and plasma corticosterone; (ii) intracoerulear CRH increased systolic pressure and heart rate only in controls; (iii) intraparaventricular prazosin decreased systolic pressure and heart rate only in malnourished rats; (iv) in controls, prazosin did not prevent the stimulatory effect of CRH on the cardiovascular parameters; in malnourished rats, prazosin allowed CRH regain its stimulatory effects. Thus, coerulear activation by CRH would be involved in hypertension and tachycardia developed by prenatally malnourished animals.