Responses of thalamic neurones to iontophoretically applied drugs

Noradrenaline and acetylcholine responses of supraoptic neurosecretory cells

1. Neurones in the supraoptic nucleus were examined for their responsiveness to microiontophoretically applied monoamines and cholinomimetic agents. One hundred and sixty-one of the 749 neurones recorded were antidromically identified as neurosecretory cells.2. The monoamines, dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin, reduced the activity of all cells which responded.3. Reduction in activity following noradrenaline administration was antagonized by the beta-adrenergic blocking agent MJ-1999 and potentiated by desmethylimipramine.4. Acetylcholine produced either a decrease or an increase in activity of responsive cells with depression the predominant result. Both the depressant and the excitatory response to acetylcholine were seen in individual neurosecretory cells which were depressed by noradrenaline.5. Application of acetyl-beta-methylcholine and carbaminoylcholine consistently resulted in depression of all responsive cells, while nicotine excited the majority of responsive cells. Both types of response were observed on the same neurosecretory cell.6. The depressant response was antagonized by the muscarinic blocking agent atropine while the excitatory response was antagonized by the nicotinic blocking agent dihydro-beta-erythroidine. Responses to acetylcholine were potentiated by the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor physostigmine.7. The data indicate that noradrenaline-containing terminals on these neurosecretory cells are likely to inhibit their discharge rate, while the presumed cholinergic terminals might function as either excitatory or inhibitory, depending on the receptor activated.8. These results support the hypothesis that ADH release is related to the neuronal activity of the supraoptic neurosecretory cell.

Supraoptic neurosecretory cells: adrenergic and cholinergic sensitivity

Adrenergic and cholinergic agonists and antagonists were applied microelectrophoretically to over 700 neurons in the cat supraoptic nucleus, 20 percent of which were antidromically identified as neurosecretory cells. Norepinephrine uniformly depressed all sensitive cells. Acetylcholine caused both muscarinic depression and nicotinic excitation which were antagonized by atropine and dihydro-beta-erythroidine, respectively. These results support the hypothesis that norepinephrine and acetylcholine are directly involved in controlling the release of antidiuretic hormone.

Acetylcholine-sensitivity of thalamic neurones: its relationship to synaptic transmission

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The responses of thalamic neurons to iontophoretically applied monoamines

1. The effects of noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline, dopamine (DA) 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and a number of related drugs were tested on the extracellularly recorded responses of neurones in the feline thalamus. Substances were applied iontophoretically and tested on synaptically, antidromically and chemically evoked neuronal activity.2. NA, adrenaline, isoprenaline and 5-HT had a variety of effects, depressing some cells, exciting others and not affecting the responses of a third group. DA depressed most of the cells tested; excitation was not observed with this compound.3. The magnitude of depressant actions and their duration varied considerably. The more sensitive cells responded to extremely small amounts of catecholamine or 5-HT and recovery often took several minutes. Recovery after DA was always rapid. Neurones in the dorsal thalamus were generally more susceptible to depression than those in the ventro-basal complex.4. Excitatory responses were most marked in the ventro-basal complex of the thalamus. Desensitization occurred if NA or adrenaline was applied repeatedly and this tachyphylaxis lasted for several minutes. After desensitization to the excitatory effects, some of these cells were depressed by catecholamines. These findings suggest the presence of at least two types of membrane receptor.5. beta-adrenergic antagonists (alderlin, D-INPEA and MJ 1999) and alpha-antagonists (phentolamine, dibenzyline and chlorpromazine) had pronounced depressant actions on some thalamic neurones. With the exceptions of D-INPEA and MJ 1999 they also excited cells that were excited by the catecholamines. Alderlin and phentolamine had both excitatory and inhibitory effects on some cells.6. The monoamine oxidase inhibitor, iproniazid, depressed neurones which were sensitive to NA depression. It did not appear to potentiate the effects of NA on most of the cells tested.7. Reticular formation stimulation depressed some neurones in the thalamus and excited others. The depressant effects of NA and reticular formation stimulation were reduced or abolished by an intravenous injection of picrotoxin (1 mg/kg).8. It is suggested that NA and 5-HT may be inhibitory transmitters in the thalamus, released at the terminals of ascending pathways from the brain stem that have been defined by fluorescence microscopy. The excitatory actions of these compounds may also be related to a synaptic role.

A study of cholinoceptive cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus

1. The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the cat stains densely for acetylcholinesterase, which is present in intra-axonal and extracellular locations.2. Acetylcholine (ACh), cholinomimetic drugs, anticholinesterases and ACh antagonists were administered iontophoretically to neurones in the LGN.3. ACh excited eighty-six of 184 (46.7%) geniculate neurones and depressed seven (3.8%).4. The excitatory response to ACh was frequently larger than that to L-glutamate and had a comparable time course.5. There was a considerable variation in the proportion of ACh sensitive cells in different animals. ACh firing was facilitated by optic nerve or visual stimulation.6. Carbamylcholine was the most active of the choline esters tested, frequently exceeding ACh in potency. The other choline esters and nicotine were consistently less active than ACh.7. Anticholinesterases, eserine, neostigmine and edrophonium potentiated the action of ACh, and often caused excitation. Eserine caused an initial small enhancement in the amplitude of the focal potential evoked by optic nerve stimulation followed by a reduction in amplitude and prolongation of duration of the potential.8. Atropine and benzoquinonium effectively prevented the ACh excitation of many cells. Dihydro-beta-erythroidine failed to cause a significant reduction in the magnitude of the ACh response. All three ACh antagonists failed to reduce the excitant effects of optic nerve or visual stimulation.9. Stimulation of the mesencephalic reticular formation caused either an enhancement or a reduction in the excitability of ACh sensitive neurones in the LGN. Benzoquinonium abolished the excitatory effects of reticular formation stimulation.10. The findings presented in this paper suggest that ACh is the transmitter released by terminals of nerves of the reticular formation projection to the LGN.

The inhibitory action of monoamines on lateral geniculate neurones

1. L-Noradrenaline (NA), dopamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and lysergide were administered iontophoretically to neurones in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat and the responses to these drugs recorded.2. Many neurones were depressed by the monoamines and lysergide.3. This depression was manifested by a reduction or abolition of the effects of optic nerve or visual stimulation, by a failure in some instances of an antidromically propagating spike to invade the cell soma, and by a depression of the excitant effects of L-glutamate and acetylcholine.4. Although there was considerable variation in the magnitude of the depressant effects of the monoamines, dopamine was found to be slightly more potent than 5-HT and NA. Neurones which were inhibited by catecholamines did not always respond to 5-HT and lysergide and vice versa.5. The inhibitory actions of monoamines on lateral geniculate neurones are comparable with those that have been recorded in other structures of the central nervous system.6. Lysergide did not antagonize the action of 5-HT.7. Catecholamines and 5-HT are present in nerve terminals in the lateral geniculate nucleus and the findings of this study suggest that they act as inhibitory transmitters.