title: Excitation of oxytocin cells in the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus by electrical stimulation of the dorsal penile nerve and tactile stimulation of the penis in the rat.
abstract: In urethane-anaesthetized male rats, electrical stimulation of the dorsal penile nerve (DPN) excited 29 of 48 (60%) oxytocin cells in the contralateral supraoptic nucleus, whereas only 5 of 28 (18%) vasopressin cells were excited by the stimulation. The stimulus applied to the ipsilateral DPN to the recorded neurone also excited a similar proportion of oxytocin cells (25 of 43; 58%). Tactile stimulation of the glans penis excited 7 of 12 (58%) oxytocin cells, whereas the same stimulation excited only 3 of 16 (19%) vasopressin cells. The results suggest that sensory information arising from the penis preferentially excites oxytocin cells in the supraoptic nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Fukui Medical University, Matsuoka, Japan. KHONDA@fmsrsa.fukui-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yanagimoto
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Negoro
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Narita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Murata
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higuchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003307:Copulation / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008297:Male; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000502:physiology*; D010413:Penis / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013495:Supraoptic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D014110:Touch / Q000502:physiology*; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D014667:Vasopressins; D010121:Oxytocin