Age‐dependent alterations to paraventricular nucleus insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor as a possible link between sympathoexcitation and inflammation

Modifications to neural circuits of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) have been implicated in sympathoexcitation and systemic cardiovascular dysfunction. However, to date, the role of insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF‐1R) expression on PVN pathophysiology is unknown. Using confocal immunofluorescence quantification and electrophysiological recordings from acute PVN slices, we investigated the mechanism through which age‐dependent IGF‐1R depletion contributes to the progression of inflammation and sympathoexcitation in the PVN of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Four and twenty weeks old SHR and Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats were used for this study. Our data showed that angiotensin I/II and pro‐inflammatory high mobility box group protein 1 (HMGB1) exhibited increased expression in the PVN of SHR versus WKY at 4 weeks (p