A study of sympathetic preganglionic neuronal activity in a neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparation

Extracellular recordings were made from 46 sympathetic preganglionic neurones (SPNs) in a neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparation. Neurones were identified as SPNs as they were: (i) activated at constant latencies (2-10 ms) following stimulation of the ventral root, which indicated antidromic activation and (ii) recorded at sites located either in the intermediolateral cell column or the intercalated nucleus of the thoracic spinal cord. Over one-third of the neurones (n = 17) recorded displayed ongoing activity with firing frequencies of 0.3-5 Hz. Of the neurones analyzed only one showed a very obvious phasic firing pattern. Dorsal root stimulation evoked firing in 16 of 26 SPNs recorded from the same spinal segment (6 of 10 with ongoing activity). The types of responses observed varied between neurones. The excitation of all neurones was characterised by a response occurring at a latency of 6-50 ms. In addition, SPNs in 'spinalised' preparations (n = 2) responded with latencies of 10-40 ms, similar to those observed in the intact preparation. The latencies of responses in SPNs were longer and more variable than those observed in ventral horn motor neurones. This indicates that a spinal polysynaptic pathway was involved in mediating these responses. In 7 SPNs dorsal root stimulation also elicited longer latency responses which were observed up to 1000 ms after stimulation. These responses may involve activation of bulbospinal and/or propriospinal pathways. These results show that the neonatal rat brainstem-spinal cord preparation is viable for studying SPNs and that dorsal root-SPN reflexes are intact.