We are interested in central mechanisms mediating neural control of regional vascular beds and how these mechanisms create specific patterns of autonomic responses observed under different physiological and pathological conditions, for example, during stress, defense response, hemorrhage, ischemia, and hypoxia. Previous studies from our laboratory and by others showed that purines (extracellular ATP and adenosine) may be released into the cardiovascular centers during these physiological and pathological situations. Therefore our projects focus on the role of adenosine as a neuromodulator of cardiovascular reflexes primarily integrated in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS).