Cardiovascular and single unit responses to L-glutamate injection into the posterior insular cortex in rat.

•Glutamate produced long oscillatory, pressor, depressor, bradycardic and tachycardic responses.•There was no association between pressure and heart rate responses.•There were five single-unit responses, short and long excitatory, long oscillatory, inhibitory and mixed.•There was an association between oscillation in blood pressure and in single-unit response.•The left side of the PIC is involved more in the cardiovascular functions.