Involvement of the medial prefrontal cortex in central cardiovascular modulation in the rat

The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and specifically its ventral portion (vMPFC) have been reported to modulate autonomic responses. On the cardiovascular system, this modulation is characterized by an influence on arterial blood pressure, regional blood flow as well as cardiac sympathetic and parasympathetic responses. The vMPFC also modulates baroreflex activity. Several neurotransmitters are present in the vMPFC. Among them l-glutamate, acetylcholine and noradrenaline are involved with cardiovascular modulation. In the present review, we describe evidences on the mechanisms involved in the vMPFC-related cardiovascular modulation.