title: Stimulatory action of oxytocin on neurones of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve.
abstract: Extracellular recordings were obtained from spontaneously active neurones located in the dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve ( DMX ) in slices of the rat brainstem. Oxytocin applied to the bath at concentrations of 10(-7) M or 10(-6) M excited 79% of these cells in a concentration-dependent, reversible manner. The remaining cells were unaffected. The stimulatory effect of oxytocin was reversibly antagonized by a synthetic structural analogue known to block the peripheral, endocrine effects of neurohypophysial peptides. A selective oxytocic agonist was as potent as oxytocin, whereas vasopressin exerted a much weaker effect. We therefore suggest that neurones located in DMX are endowed with receptors for oxytocin.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000032:analysis; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D018045:Receptors, Oxytocin; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D010121:Oxytocin; C041924:oxytocin, (1-(2-hydroxy-3-mercaptopropionic acid))-Thr(4)-Gly(7)-; C041925:vasopressin, 1-deamino-(2-(O-methyl)Tyr)-4-Val-8-Arg-