Role of long-term potentiation of sympathetic ganglia (gLTP) in hypertension

Ganglionic long-term potentiation (gLTP) is an activity-dependent sustained increase in the synaptic efficacy of the nicotinic pathway that has been demonstrated in autonomic ganglia. Sustained enhancement in ganglionic transmission as in chronic mental stress may affect the activity of autonomic functions, including blood pressure and heart rate. An increase in sympathetic activity, associated with psychosocial stress and stress-prone conditions such as obesity and aging could result in in vivo expression of gLTP leading to hypertension of a neural origin. Recent reports indicated that the prevention of the expression of gLTP in animal models of hypertension prevented or reduced high blood pressure. Although stress-induced hypertension normalizes within a few days of stress relief prolonged mild-moderate hypertension may contribute to atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. The relation between hypertension and enhanced ganglionic transmission as a result of in vivo expression of gLTP is discussed in this review.