title: The action of norepinephrine in the rat hippocampus. III. Hippocampal cellular responses to locus coeruleus stimulation in the awake rat.
abstract: The behavioral and physiological effects of electrical stimulation of the nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) were studied in the awake rat. LC electrodes consistently supported high rates of self-stimulation (SS). LC stimulation also inhibited spontaneous cellular discharges in the hippocampus (HPC). Both the LC-induced inhibition of HPC units and the LC-evoked SS behavior were antagonized by alpha-methyltyrosine and 6-hydroxydopamine. In addition, chlorpromazine and diethyldithiocarbamate antagonized LC-induced inhibition of HPC units. D-Amphetamine facilitated SS behavior and reduced spontaneous HPC unit activity. The reinforcing properties of LC stimulation correlate closely with inhibition of cellular activity in the hippocampus; both actions appear to be mediated by norepinephrine.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000502:physiology*; D002746:Chlorpromazine / Q000494:pharmacology; D003913:Dextroamphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004050:Ditiocarb / Q000494:pharmacology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000502:physiology*; D006892:Hydroxydopamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008781:Methyltyrosines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009434:Neural Pathways; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D012653:Self Stimulation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006892:Hydroxydopamines; D008781:Methyltyrosines; D004050:Ditiocarb; D003913:Dextroamphetamine; D002746:Chlorpromazine; D009638:Norepinephrine