Phasic Neuronal Firing in the Rodent Nucleus of the Solitary Tract ex vivo

Frontiers in Physiology

Marian Henryk Lewandowski¹  Michal Wojcik¹  Kamil Pradel¹  Jasmin Daniela Klich¹  Lukasz Chrobok²  Hugh David Piggins³ 

[1] Department of Neurophysiology and Chronobiology, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland;Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom;School of Physiology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom;

关键词: brainstem;    phasic;    multi-electrode array;    nucleus of the solitary tract;    timekeeping;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fphys.2021.638695

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Phasic pattern of neuronal activity has been previously described in detail for magnocellular vasopressin neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei. This characteristic bistable pattern consists of alternating periods of electrical silence and elevated neuronal firing, implicated in neuropeptide release. Here, with the use of multi-electrode array recordings ex vivo, we aimed to study the firing pattern of neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) – the brainstem hub for homeostatic, cardio-vascular, and metabolic processes. Our recordings from the mouse and rat hindbrain slices reveal the phasic activity pattern to be displayed by a subset of neurons in the dorsomedial NTS subjacent to the area postrema (AP), with the inter-spike interval distribution closely resembling that reported for phasic magnocellular vasopressin cells. Additionally, we provide interspecies comparison, showing higher phasic frequency and firing rate of phasic NTS cells in mice compared to rats. Further, we describe daily changes in their firing rate and pattern, peaking at the middle of the night. Last, we reveal these phasic cells to be sensitive to α2 adrenergic receptors activation and to respond to electrical stimulation of the AP. This study provides a comprehensive description of the phasic neuronal activity in the rodent NTS and identifies it as a potential downstream target of the AP noradrenergic system.

【 授权许可】

Unknown