Price Christopher J, Hoyda Ted D, Ferguson Alastair V
Department of Physiology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.
Neuroscientist. 2008 Apr;14(2):182-94. doi: 10.1177/1073858407311100. Epub 2007 Dec 13.
The area postrema is a medullary structure lying at the base of the fourth ventricle. The area postrema's privileged location outside of the blood-brain barrier make this sensory circumventricular organ a vital player in the control of autonomic functions by the central nervous system. By virtue of its lack of tight junctions between endothelial cells in this densely vascularized structure and the presence of fenestrated capillaries, peptide and other physiological signals borne in the blood have direct access to neurons that project to brain areas with important roles in the autonomic control of many physiological systems, including the cardiovascular system and systems controlling feeding and metabolism. However, the area postrema is not simply a conduit through which signals flow into the brain, but it is now being recognized as the initial site of integration for these signals as they enter the circuitry of the central nervous system.
最后区是位于第四脑室底部的髓质结构。最后区位于血脑屏障之外的特殊位置，使其成为中枢神经系统控制自主功能的重要感觉室周器官。由于这个血管密集的结构中内皮细胞之间缺乏紧密连接，且存在有窗孔的毛细血管，血液中携带的肽和其他生理信号能够直接接触到投射到对包括心血管系统以及控制进食和新陈代谢的系统在内的许多生理系统进行自主控制中发挥重要作用的脑区的神经元。然而，最后区并非仅仅是信号流入大脑的通道，现在它被认为是这些信号进入中枢神经系统回路时的初始整合位点。
