Metabolic activation of efferent pathways from the rat area postrema.

We used the quantitative [14C]deoxyglucose method and autoradiography to evaluate metabolic activity in 47 individual cerebral structures or subregions that are part of neural pathways emanating from the brain stem circumventricular organ, area postrema. Electrical stimulation of the dorsocentral area postrema in halothane-ventilated rats produced hypotension and increased glucose metabolism by several structures within the ascending trajectories of efferent neural projections from the nucleus. Structures in the caudal medulla oblongata, including three subnuclei of the nucleus of the solitary tract, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve, and nucleus ambiguus-A1 noradrenergic region, had increases of metabolism during stimulation of 32-62%. Pontine activation occurred specifically in the locus coeruleus and lateral parabrachial nuclei (increases of 24-36%). Magnocellular and parvocellular subdivisions of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, supraoptic and suprachiasmatic nuclei, and median eminence showed increases in metabolism of 22-34%. An 89% elevation of glucose metabolism by the pituitary neural lobe resulted. The findings are evidence for functional activation of specific structures within ascending neural pathways from area postrema to forebrain mechanisms regulating blood pressure and fluid balance.