Salt in the Brain
January 18, 2022 | Terry Sharrer
“Implementing an approach for in vivo two-photon imaging from the ventral surface of the brain, we [at Georgia State University] show that a systemic homeostatic challenge, acute salt loading, progressively increases hypothalamic vasopressin (VP) neuronal firing and evokes a vasoconstriction that reduces local blood flow. Vasoconstrictions are blocked by topical application of a VP receptor antagonist or tetrodotoxin, supporting mediation by activity-dependent, dendritically released VP. Salt-induced inverse NVC (neurovascular coupling) results in a local hypoxic microenvironment, which evokes positive feedback excitation of VP neurons.” MORE
Image Credit: Cell.com