Central Cardiovascular Regulation, The Allen Laboratory at Melb Uni

General Information:

The principal focus of the Central Cardiovascular Regulation Laboratory is understanding the function and organization of neural networks. These central neural networks within the brainstem, underpin the mechanisms underlying central cardiovascular and respiratory control. Our work has implications also for: stress, obesity, diabetes, sleep apnea, chronic intermittent hypoxia

, cardiac dysfunction, renal failure, stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s, respiratory diseases and many others. The brain has an estimated 1 billion neurons, each potentially receiving information from hundreds of other neurons and the potential interactions are mind-boggling. However, we are world experts in the use and development of recombinant viruses which allow us tease apart and dissect neuronal circuits and even the connectome. We utilise viral transduction to induce cell- and regionally-specific changes in gene expression in vivo, in combination with fluorescence microscopy to dissect neuronal circuitry in mouse and rat models. Using cell-selective viral transduction of different genes expressing different opsin and pharmacological proteins, we are also able to modulate cell activity and function. We are the first group in Australia to publish the use of pharmaco- and opto-genetics in mammalian neuroscience (Menuet et al., 2014). Our expertise in these exciting, but challenging, techniques ensures that the innovative research outlined in this application is highly feasible and will result in significant advances in this field. In 2009 we made the observation that sympathetic activity is being driven by respiration prior to the development of hypertension – i.e. that this modulation could underpin the development of the hypertension. We have now identified the neurons responsible for transmitting respiratory modulation of sympathetic activity and shown that if these neurons are lesioned during development, prior to onset of hypertension, then the adult blood pressure is dramatically reduced. We have also shown that a group of adolescent humans, with normal blood pressure but characteristics indicating higher risk of developing hypertension in later life, have amplified respiratory modulation of blood pressure. Our research suggests that exploiting this link between breathing and blood pressure might represent a non-pharmacological approach to inhibit the development of high blood pressure in some people.