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.
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.
Honda
K
K
Department of Physiology, Fukui Medical University, Matsuoka, Japan. KHONDA@fmsrsa.fukui-med.ac.jp
Yanagimoto
M
M
Negoro
H
H
Narita
K
K
Murata
T
T
Higuchi
T
T
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
D014667:Vasopressins; D010121:Oxytocin