title: Synchronized rhythms in chemosensitive neurons of the locus coeruleus in the absence of chemical synaptic transmission.
abstract: The activity of locus coeruleus (LC) neurons was examined in the en bloc isolated brainstem-spinal cord of the neonatal rat using paired whole cell or whole cell plus extracellular recording. In artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF) LC neurons were synchronized by their respiratory innervation and in some neurons showing tonic or burst patterns of discharge these patterns of discharge could also be synchronized. Replacing ACSF with low Ca(2+)-high Mg(2+) generated synchronized rhythmic bursts which remained synchronized at high CO(2) (up to 20%). This rhythm was suppressed by TTX. Substitution of Ba(2+) for Ca(2+) in ACSF generated a synchronized rhythm which was TTX-insensitive. The frequency of this rhythm increased by 31+/-16% on raising CO(2) concentration from 2 to 10%. We conclude that the capacity of chemosensitive LC neurons to generate a synchronized rhythm depends on their electrical coupling, but not on chemical synaptic transmission.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Physiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Andrzejewski
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mückenhoff
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scheid
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ballantyne
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002118:Calcium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000494:pharmacology; D002628:Chemoreceptor Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004594:Electrophysiology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008274:Magnesium / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009991:Oscillometry; D010507:Periodicity; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012964:Sodium / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D001464:Barium; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D012964:Sodium; D008274:Magnesium; D002118:Calcium