[Microiontophoretic study of the topography of the hydrocortisone-sensitive rabbit brain neurons]

Response of the neurons of the limbic structures, of the hypothalamus, and the frontal cortex of the large hemispheres of the rabbit brain to the hydrocortisone, acetylcholine, and noradrenaline microionophoretic behaviour was studied in this work. About half of the cells of the majority of the brain regions studied, including the cortex, altered their spontaneous discharge frequency in response to the corticosteroid microapplication. The prevailing type of response to the hormone in the medial hypothalamus was inhibition, rarefaction of the discharge frequency, while in the nuclei of the septum and the amygdala acceleration of the neurone activity excitation. No prevalence of a definite type of response was observed in the rest of the structures. Over half of the hydrocortisone-sensitive neurons responded to the application of both mediators. However, no correlation was revealed between the character of the nerve cells responses to the hormone and to the microionophoretically supplied acetylcholine and noradrenaline.