Effects of tachykinins on identified dorsal vagal neurons: an electrophysiological study in vitro

Intracellular current-clamp recordings were performed using in vitro brainstem slice preparations to compare the actions of substance P, neurokinin A, neurokinin B and their agonists on rat dorsal vagal nucleus neurons with or without antagonists of neurokinin 1 and 2 receptors. The agonists used were either [Sar9,Met(O2)11]substance P or septide for neurokinin 1 and [Nle10]neurokinin A(4-10) for neurokinin 2 receptors. The antagonists were spantide, SR 140333 or RP 67580 for neurokinin 1 receptors and SR 48968 for neurokinin 2 receptors. Identification of vagal neurons was achieved electrophysiologically by testing antidromic responses and confirmed morphologically by an intracellular injection of biocytin. Of the 70 neurons tested, substance P led to depolarization in 36, hyperpolarization in six and no effect in 28. Depolarization was concentration dependent and generally associated with an increase of the membrane input resistance. Addition of tetrodotoxin (1 microM) to the medium had no effect on depolarization. RP 67580 (1 microM) blocked depolarization, but spantide and SR 140333 (microM to 50 microM) did not. Hyperpolarization was never observed using agonists. Neurokinin A and neurokinin 2 agonist induced concentration-dependent depolarization associated with an increase in membrane input resistance in eight of 14 neurons and in four of nine neurons, respectively. Depolarization was only partially abolished by the neurokinin 2 antagonist SR 48968. Neurokinin B had no effect in any of the eight neurons tested. These data prove that vagal neurons have neurokinin 1 and 2 receptors and that tachykinin could produce either depolarization or hyperpolarization. Since membrane potential variations were associated with an increase (during depolarization) or decrease (during hyperpolarization) in the membrane input resistance and since the reversal potential was close to the potassium equilibrium potential, we speculate that these effects are mediated by modulation of potassium conductance.