Suprachiasmatic nucleus responsiveness to photic and basal hypothalamic stimulation

In view of the demonstrated role of light and of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) in the maintenance of circadian rhythms related to endocrine functions and as the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) controls neuroendocrine activity, the effects of light and MBH stimulation on the electrical activity of SCN neurons were studied in rats. Out of 253 cells studied in the SCN, 32 cells were antidromically activated, while 65 cells responded orthodromically to MBH stimulation. In another series of experiments out of 95 suprachiasmatic neurons, 11 were antidromically activated by MBH stimulation and 18 different SCN cells responded to continuous light. The present data, which demonstrate photic responses in suprachiasmatic neurons and direct projections from the SCN to MBH, are discussed in view of the current knowledge on the role of the retinohypothalamic tract and the SCN in the control of circadian rhythms.