title: Responses of vestibular neurons to arginine vasopressin microinjection.
abstract: The aim of the present research was to evaluate the effects induced by arginine vasopressin (VP) microinjection on the electrical activity of single vestibular neurons. Experiments were performed on anaesthetized guinea-pigs in which the spontaneous and the evoked electrical activity of vestibular neurons were recorded before and after intranuclear VP microinjection (0.25.10(-5) pg VP in 0.25 microliter NaCl 0.9% solution). Results showed that VP microinjection affects the spontaneous as well as the evoked vestibular neuron activity. More precisely, 60% of 30 tested neurons were inhibited, 30% were excited and the remaining 10% were unaffected by VP microinjection. The changes in neuronal activity reported above were attributed to a direct action exerted by the polypeptide on vestibular complex neurons. The possible role played by VP in the mechanisms of postural control exerted by the vestibular system was considered as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Human Physiology and Bioengineering, University of Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 43/B, I-07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Podda
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Deriu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Montella
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Satta
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tolu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008845:Microinjections; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D014726:Vestibular Nuclei / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001127:Arginine Vasopressin