The lateral septal area is involved in mediation of immobilization stress-induced blood pressure increase in rats

Immobilization stress increased the number of neurons with Fos immunoreactivity, mainly in the ventral zone of the rostral part of the lateral septal nucleus (LSV) in rats. Immobilization stress caused an increase in blood pressure, and the stress-induced pressor response was inhibited by the GABAA receptor agonist, muscimol (8 and 80 pmol), injected bilaterally into the rostral part of the LSV in a dose-dependent manner. Intracerebroventricular injection of muscimol (16 pmol) did not affect the immobilization stress-induced pressor response. These findings suggest that the rostra! part of the LSV is involved in mediation of the stress-induced pressor response. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.