Neuronal activation in the CNS during different forms of acute renal failure in rats

At each time-point of the three different, experimentally induced ARF, the presence of Fos- and/or Fra-2-immunoreactive neurons was determined in 120 different brain areas and nuclei. In general, the 73 of 120 brain areas that showed time and intensity dependent activation in response to ARF can be classified into four groups: 1) biogenic amine (noradrenaline, adrenaline, histamine and 5-HT) expressing cell groups in the lower brainstem, 2) “stress-sensitive” forebrain areas, with regard to certain hypothalamic, limbic and cortical areas, 3) neuronal cell groups that participate in the central regulation of body and brain water and electrolyte homeostasis, including the circumventricular organs, and 4) central autonomic cell groups, especially visceral sensory cell groups in the brain, which are in primary, secondary or tertiary connections with renal afferents. Data presented here indicate that a wide variety of neurons in several regulatory mechanisms is affected by ARF-induced peripheral and central alterations.