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The medullary rostral ventrolateral pressor region: an electrophysiological study in decerebrate rat
1Laboratoire de Neurobiologie et Neurophysiologie Fonctionnelles, ERS CNRS 61, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques de Saint-Jérome, Marseille, France.
Abstract:
Decerebrate rat was used to study the discharge pattern of barosensitive neurons. This preparation avoids general anesthesia and suppresses painful sensations of the animal. Twenty-eight spontaneously active units were recorded in the rostral ventrolateral region of the medulla (RVLM). Six units had projections to the spinal cord (bulbospinal) and 22 were not antidromically activated by spinal cord stimulation (NAA). Transient hypertension induced by intravenous injection of noradrenaline depressed the activity of 21 units, and increased activity of 7, regardless of axonal destination. Unlike anesthetized rat, the decerebrate rat possesses spontaneously active neurons with excitatory response to hypertension.