Airpuff Startle Stress Elicited Fos Expression in Brain Cardiovascular Areas of Young Shr and Wky Rats

Abstract

Prior studies comparing Fos expression in adult Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and Spontaneously Hypertensive rats (SHR) identified more Fos-positive neurons in a subset of brain regions following two stressors: placement in a startle chamber and presentation of an airpuff startle stimulus. The present study assessed Fos expression in five week old SHR and WKY rats in those same brain areas. Like adults, young SHR expressed more Fos-positive neurons than WKY in response to the startle chamber alone. Unlike adults,

Key Words:

• Autonomic Pathways
• SHR
• WKY
• Airpuff Startle
• Immunoreactive Fos
• Locus coeruleus
• nucleus of the solitary tract