[Action of oxytocin on the cellular activity of the hypothalamic cyclic center in rats]

Neuronal discharges of the anterior hypothalamus were studied in acute experiments on rats anesthetized with nembutal. Intravenous injection of oxytocin exerted a pronounced effect on the background activity, which became more rapid in the majority of cases and was sometimes reconstructed. A dose-dependent action of the peptide as well as the different latent periods of the neuronal responses were noted. In several cases, the drug induced bundle formation, making the impulsation rhythm more regular in some of the cells. The data obtained are discussed from the standpoint of oxytocin involvement in the activity of the cells forming the hypothalamic cyclic center in rats.