The subfornical organ drives hypertension in polycystic kidney disease via the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus

Abstract Aims Hypertension is a prevalent yet poorly understood feature of polycystic kidney disease. Previously, we demonstrated that increased glutamatergic neurotransmission within the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus produces hypertension in the Lewis Polycystic Kidney (LPK) rat model of polycystic kidney disease. Here, we tested the hypothesis that augmented glutamatergic drive to the paraventricular nucleus in Lewis polycystic kidney rats originates from the forebrain lamina terminalis, a sensory structure that relays blood-borne information throughout the brain. Methods and results Anatomical experiments revealed that 38% of paraventricular nucleus-projecting neurons in the subfornical organ of the lamina terminalis expressed Fos/Fra, an activation marker, in LPK rats while