title: Thyrotropin-releasing hormone induces rhythmic bursting in neurons of the nucleus tractus solitarius.
abstract: The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) contains neurons that are part of the central neuronal network controlling rhythmic breathing movements in mammals. Nerve terminals within the NTS show immunoreactivity to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), a neuropeptide that has potent stimulatory effects on respiration. By means of a brainstem slice preparation in vitro, TRH induced rhythmic bursting in neurons in the respiratory division of the NTS. The frequency of bursting was voltage-dependent and could be reset by short depolarizing current pulses. In the presence of tetrodotoxin, TRH produced rhythmic oscillations in membrane potential whose frequency was also voltage-dependent. These observations suggest that TRH modulates the membrane excitability of NTS neurons and allows them to express endogenous bursting activity.
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D010507:Periodicity; D012125:Respiratory Center / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone