Lateral Habenula Regulates Cardiovascular Autonomic Responses via the Serotonergic System in Rats

The lateral habenula (LHb) plays essential roles in behavioral responses to stressful events. Stress is tightly linked autonomic such as cardiovascular responses, yet how the LHb regulates these not well understood. To address this issue, we electrically stimulated rats, measured its effects on heart rate (HR) and mean arterial pressure (MAP), investigated neural circuits that mediate LHb-induced via nervous system. We observed stimulation of induced bradycardia pressor whereas adjacent areas changed neither HR nor MAP. Bilateral vagotomy administration a muscarinic receptor antagonist suppressed effect but MAP, β-adrenoceptor partly attenuated MAP HR. Thus, were likely caused by activations cardiac parasympathetic nerves sympathetic nerves, respectively. Furthermore, non-selective 5-HT significantly both A 2 also effects. low dose 1A enhanced effects, high drug them. 1B 1D antagonists 7 did affect Taken together, our findings suggest at least through serotonergic system, particularly receptors.