A potent excitatory input to the nucleus locus coeruleus from the ventrolateral medulla.
Our recent anatomic experiments reveal major innervation of the nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) from the nucleus paragigantocellularis (PGi), located in the rostral ventrolateral medulla. In the present studies, low intensity, single pulse electrical stimulation of the PGi synaptically activated most LC neurons examined (69%), while a smaller percentage of LC cells (20%) exhibited pure inhibitory responses. Pharmacologic experiments suggest that the excitatory response may be mediated by an amino acid transmitter.
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000502:physiology*; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013569:Synapses / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission
D000596:Amino Acids