title: Electrophysiological identification of spinally projecting neurons in the lateral reticular nucleus of the rat.
abstract: Eighty-four neurons in the caudal ventrolateral medullary reticular formation were antidromically activated by the stimulation of the dorsolateral funiculus in 49 urethane-anesthetized rats. Of 76 neurons, 37 had no spontaneous discharge. Of the neurons that had spontaneous discharges, 80% had firing rates between 0.1 and 15 Hz. The average conduction velocity, determined among 70 neurons, was 15.20 +/- 1.23 m/s, and 87% had conduction velocities within the range of 2-30 m/s. This study further confirms the existence of spinally-projecting neurons in the lateral reticular nucleus (LRN) of the caudal medulla, and some of them are probably responsible for the descending controls of nociception from the LRN.
authors.affiliation: Neurophysiological Laboratory, Xi'an Medical University, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Z L
authors.initials: ZL
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000818:Animals; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000502:physiology*; D009431:Neural Conduction; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000502:physiology*