Medullary regulation of visceral sympathetic nerve discharge at peak hyperthermia in aged F344 rats

• Sympathetic nerve discharge activation to heating is attenuated with advanced age.
• RVLM role in mediating attenuated sympathetic responses investigated in aged rats.
• RVLM disinhibition at peak heating was produced by bicuculline (GABAA antagonist).
• Young and aged rats retained the capacity to further increase SND at peak heating.
• Results suggest the withdrawal of RVLM GABA tone to heating is attenuated in aged rats.

Heat stress provides a potent stimulus for the activation of visceral sympathetic nerve discharge (SND) in young but not aged rats. Central mechanisms mediating attenuated SND responses to heating in aged rats have not been investigated. Because the GABAergic system in the rostral ventral lateral medulla (RVLM) is tonically inhibitory to SND, it is plausible to hypothesize that the withdrawal of RVLM GABA tone as a strategy to activate renal SND to heating is not engaged to the same degree in aged compared with young rats. The effect of bilateral RVLM disinhibition produced by bicuculline (BIC, GABAA receptor antagonist, 100 pmol) microinjections on renal SND in anesthetized young (3–6 months old) and aged (22–24 months old) Fischer 344 rats was determined after core body temperature (Tc) had been increased to 41.5 °C. Renal SND at 41.5 °C was significantly increased from control levels in young but not aged rats, whereas RVLM BIC microinjections at 41.5 °C produced marked renal sympathoexcitation in both groups. RVLM BIC microinjections at 38 °C in young and aged rats increased renal SND to similar levels as produced by RVLM BIC microinjections at 41.5 °C. The enhanced heating-induced renal sympathoactivation in young compared with aged rats; coupled with marked RVLM BIC-induced SND excitation under hyperthermic and normothermic conditions in both young and aged rats, suggests age-dependent changes in the withdrawal of RVLM GABA tone as a strategy to activate renal SND in response to acute heating.