Methyldopa hypotension and ascending projections from midline serotonin (B3) cells in the medulla

Micro-injection of methyldopa into the area of the midline B3 serotonin cell group in the ventral medulla of spontaneously hypertensive rats, stroke-prone strain (SHRSP), caused a fall in blood pressure of 30-40 mmHg, maximally 2-3 h after administration. This hypotension was abolished by the selective serotonin neurotoxin 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) injected intracerebroventricularly, but it was not affected by intraspinal injection of 5,7-DHT to produce a selective lesion of serotonin nerves descending into the spinal cord, or by injection of 5,7-DHT into the median forebrain bundle, one of the main ascending pathways from the B3 serotonin cells. It seems likely that the midline serotonin B3 cells in the medulla contribute to the hypotensive action of methyldopa through a projection restricted to the caudal brainstem.