The role of centrally injected nesfatin-1 on cardiovascular regulation in normotensive and hypotensive rats

•Nesfatin-1 produced pressor and bradycardic response in normotensive rats.•Nesfatin-1 caused pressor and tachycardic effects in hemorrhage hypotensive rats despite hypovolemia.•Nesfatin-1 potentiated the increase in plasma levels of catecholamine, vasopressin and renin in both conditions.

This study investigated the cardiovascular effects of nesfatin-1 in normotensive rats and animals subjected to hypotensive hemorrhage.Hemorrhagic hypotension was induced by withdrawal 2 mL blood/100 g body weight over a period of 10 min. Acute hemorrhage led to a severe and long-lasting decrease in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR). Intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) administered nesfatin-1 (100 pmol) increased MAP in both normotensive and hemorrhaged rats. Nesfatin-1 also caused bradycardia in normotensive and tachycardia in hemorrhaged rats. Centrally injected nesfatin-1 (100 pmol, i.c.v.) also increased plasma catecholamine, vasopressin and renin concentrations in control animals and potentiated the rise in all three cardiovascular mediators produced by hemorrhage.These findings indicate that centrally administered nesfatin-1 causes a pressor response in conscious normotensive and hemorrhaged rats and suggest that enhanced sympathetic activity and elevated vasopressin and renin concentrations mediate the cardiovascular effects of the peptide.