Electrophysiology and pharmacology of neurons of the medial zona incerta: an in vitro slice study.

Brain Research
M J Eaton, R L Moss

Abstract

The electrical properties and chemical sensitivities of neurons located in the medial zona incerta (ZI), a region containing a clustering of dopaminergic cell bodies known as the A13 cell group, were studied in Sprague-Dawley female rats in the in vitro slice preparation. Extracellular single cell recordings were made from 473 neurons located in the medial ZI. The neurons generally displayed a slow and regular firing pattern with a mean firing rate of 4.7 impulses/s. Some neurons exhibited an orthodromic response to electrical stimulation of the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMH). The response consisted of a short-term, variable-latency increase in activity, indicating a predominantly excitatory input from the VMH to the medial ZI. The chemical sensitivity of medial ZI neurons was tested by micropressure application of various neurotransmitters and peptides. Dopamine and serotonin were found to inhibit the spontaneous firing in many of the neurons tested, whereas none of the peptides tested consistently produced a short-term change in firing rate. Over half (51%) of the cells that were orthodromically excited by VMH stimulation were also inhibited by the exogenous application of dopamine. Since many of the cells in ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Oct 1, 1995·Physiology & Behavior·L Tonelli, E Chiaraviglio
Jun 16, 2006·Journal of Neurophysiology·Jason C TrageserAsaf Keller
Oct 8, 2004·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Jason C Trageser, Asaf Keller
Mar 1, 2012·Movement Disorders : Official Journal of the Movement Disorder Society·René ReeseJens Volkmann
May 1, 1991·European Journal of Epidemiology·L P Mallavia
Apr 19, 2007·Brain : a Journal of Neurology·Jan HerzogJens Volkmann

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