Descending facilitation of spinal NMDA-dependent reflex potentiation from pontine tegmentum in rats

This study was conducted to investigate whether dorsolateral pontine tegmentum stimulation modulates spinal reflex potentiation (SRP) and whether serotonergic neurotransmission is involved in such a modulation. Reflex activities of the external urethra sphincter (EUS) electromyogram in response to a test stimulation (TS; 1/30 Hz) or repetitive stimulation (RS; 1 Hz) on the pelvic afferent nerve in 35 anesthetized rats were recorded with/without synchronized train pontine stimulation (PS; 300 Hz, 30 ms) and/or intrathecal administrations of 10 microl of 2,3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo (F) quinoxaline (NBQX; 100 microM), d-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate (APV; 100 microM), N-[2-[4-(2-methoxyphenyl)-1-piperazinyl]ethyl]-N-(2-pyridinyl) cyclohexanecarboxamide trihydrochloride (WAY 100635; 100 microM), and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)-tetralin (8-OH-DPAT; 100 microM). The TS evoked a single action potential (1.00 +/- 0.00 spikes/stimulation), while the RS produced a long-lasting SRP (16.12 +/- 1.59 spikes/stimulation) that was abolished by APV (1.57 +/- 0.29 spikes/stimulation) and was attenuated by NBQX (7.42 +/- 0.57 spikes/stimulation). Synchronized train PS with RS (PS+RS) produced facilitation in RS-induced SRP (25.17 +/- 2.21 spikes/stimulation). Intrathecal WAY 100635 abolished the facilitation in SRP as a result of the synchronized PS (14.66 +/- 1.58 spikes/stimulation). On the other hand, intrathecal 8-OH-DPAT elicited facilitation in the RS-induced SRP (25.16 +/- 1.05 spikes/stimulation) without synchronized PS. Our findings suggest that dorsolateral pontine tegmentum may modulate N-methyl-d-aspartic acid-dependent SRP via descending serotonergic neurotransmission. This descending modulation may have physiological/pharmacological relevance in the neural controls of urethral closure.