Inhibition of Rac1-derived reactive oxygen species in nucleus tractus solitarius decreases blood pressure and heart rate in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brain are thought to contribute to the neuropathogenesis of hypertension by enhancing sympathetic nervous system activity. The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), which receives afferent input from baroreceptors, has an important role in cardiovascular regulation. reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase is thought to be a major source of ROS in the NTS. Rac1 is a small G protein and a key component of reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase. The role of Rac1-derived ROS in the NTS in cardiovascular regulation of hypertension is unknown. Therefore, we examined whether inhibition of Rac1 in the NTS decreases ROS generation, thereby reducing blood pressure in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSPs). The basal Rac1 activity level in the NTS was greater in SHRSPs than in Wistar-Kyoto rats. Inhibition of Rac1, induced by transfecting adenovirus vectors encoding dominant-negative Rac1 into the NTS, decreased blood pressure, heart rate, and urinary norepinephrine excretion in SHRSPs but not in Wistar-Kyoto rats. Inhibition of Rac1 also reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase activity and ROS generation. In addition, Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase activity in the NTS of SHRSPs was decreased compared with that of Wistar-Kyoto rats, despite the increased ROS generation. Overexpression of Cu/Zn-superoxide dismutase in the NTS decreased blood pressure and heart rate in SHRSPs. These results indicate that the activation of Rac1 in the NTS generates ROS via reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase in SHRSPs, and this mechanism might be important for the neuropathogenesis of hypertension in SHRSPs.