Increased activity of bulbospinal cardiovascular neurons in the rat rostral ventrolateral medulla upon emergence from anaesthesia

The rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) is part of the vasomotor centre which controls the cardiovascular system and may therefore be critical to the genesis of postoperative hypertension. This area is probably a common site of termination of different inputs involved in the baroreflex. It contains at least two classes of neurons exhibiting spontaneous activities and projecting to sympathetic preganglionic neurons located in the intermediolateral cell-column (IML) of the spinal cord. The first class of neurons corresponds to cells with slow axonal conduction velocities (< 0.8 m s(-1)) and which contain immunoreactive phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (C1 cells); the second class, characterized by faster conduction velocities (2.5-8 m s(-1)), is considered as glutamatergic, although the C1 cells may also release glutamate alongside catecholamine. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the involvement of the 'fast-conducting' RVLM barosensitive bulbospinal (RVLM-BB) neurons in the hypertension occurring upon emergence from halothane anaesthesia. Rats were anaesthetized with halothane, paralysed, and their lungs mechanically ventilated. Avoidable pain, distress or discomfort was consistently avoided as required by the fundamental principles of ethical animal research. Hence, all pressure points and surgical wounds, as well as tracheal tube were carefully covered or infiltrated with adequate local anaesthetic. Control experiments have been performed, allowing us to assert that hypertension accompanying halothane withdrawal was not due to suffering (see Discussion). Under halothane anaesthesia, fast conducting (2.7 +/- 1.0 m s(-1)) RVLM-BB neurons (n = 10) exhibited a continuous discharge (8.4 +/- 7.5 Hz). Five minutes after discontinuing halothane, an increase in arterial blood pressure was recorded (AP: 19 +/- 6 mmHg), which was accompanied by an increase in the unitary activities (n = 8, 43 +/- 23%). Afterwards, both AP and unitary activity frequencies further increased to reach a maximum value at the end of the sequence (34 +/- 9 mmHg and 161 +/- 120% respectively, n = 10). After resumption of halothane administration, both AP and unitary activities fall down to the baseline level within 5 min (n = 10). This study shows that emergence from halothane anaesthesia reversibly induces RVLM-BB units activation, suggesting that a putative glutamatergic bulbospinal pathway may be involved in the genesis of hypertension occurring upon emergence from anaesthesia. These data may therefore contribute to better understanding of postoperative hypertension and to improve its pharmacological treatment in man.