There is increasing awareness that the autonomic nervous system, through its central and peripheral pathways, plays a critical role in the regulation of the circulation. Peripherally, the autonomic representation, largely that of sympathetic nerves, innervate virtually all segments of the vascular tree as well as the adrenal medulla. Through the interaction of nerve terminals, their transmitters, receptors and intracellular mediators in smooth muscle, sympathetic neurons control vascular tone as well as the basal performance of the heart. In turn, the performance of the autonomic nervous system is highly controlled by the brain. Once viewed as a black box with only a vague influence on cardiovascular performance, the introduction of concepts and techniques of neuroscience into the field of cardiovascular medicine has led to the realization of the critical role of this organ in cardiovascular control. It is now well recognized that within the brain, the represenation of cardiovascular function is highly restricted anatomically, engages a number of specific transmitters for its actions, and has highly selective and topographically restricted functions to influence circulatory performance.

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Inactivation of catecholamines in the blood vessel wall.- Ca distribution and its regulation in smooth muscle cells.- Mechanisms involved in the actions of stimulant drugs on vascular smooth muscle.- Vascular smooth muscle: Structure and function.- Local modulation of noradrenergic neurotransmission in blood vessels of normotensive and hypertensive animals.- Serotonin, platelets, and vascular function.- Two principles of large artery dilation: Indirect endothelium-mediated and direct smooth muscle relaxation.- Antihypertensive drugs: Current and future therapies.- The fawn-hooded rat as a genetic hypertensive animal model.- Organization of differential sympathetic responses to activation of visceral receptors and arterial baroreceptors.- Spinal factors in sympathetic regulation.- Neuroanatomical substrates of cardiovascular and emotional autonomic regulation.- Central and peripheral actions of angiotensin II.- Role of paraventricular and arcuate nuclei in cardiovascular regulation.- The central nervous contribution to vasomotor tone.- The Cl area of rostral ventrolateral medulla: Role in tonic and reflex regulation of arterial pressure.- Aspects of the role of neuropeptide Y and atrial peptides in control of vascular resistance.- Neurochemical basis for the vasoactive action of prolactin.