title: [Effect of prefrontal cortex on the neuronal activity of the nucleus raphe magnus in rats].
abstract: The unit discharge of neurons in nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) were recorded with glass microelectrodes in 33 waking and tubocurarine-immobilized rats. It is observed that effects of the noxious stimulation and prefrontal cortex (PFC) stimulation on spontaneous discharges of NRM neurons and effects of PFC stimulation on noxious-evoked discharges of NRM neurons by stimulating sural nerve. The results indicated that noxious stimulation and PFC stimulation could increase spontaneous discharge of most (68.18% and 60.82% respectively) NRM neurons. It was also noted that most (49/80) NRM neurons altered their spontaneous discharge in response to noxious stimulation and PFC stimulation in a similar manner. The remainder (31/80) opposite manners. PFC stimulation could alter the response of NRM neurons to noxious stimulation. PFC stimulation could enhance or reduce noxious-evoked discharge in NRM neurons which alter their spontaneous discharge in response to noxious stimulation and PFC stimulation in a similar manner. PFC stimulation could reduce noxious-evoked discharge in NRM neurons which alter their spontaneous discharge in opposite manners. The above results suggest that PFC and NRM have a functional relation. PFC could modulate nociceptive response and it might be partly responsible for influence on activity of neurons in NRM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Ningxia Medical College.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008839:Microelectrodes; D009619:Nociceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D011903:Raphe Nuclei / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000502:physiology