title: Sympathoinhibitory action of nociceptin in the rat spinal cord.
abstract: 1. Whole-cell patch recordings were made from antidromically identified sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPN) of immature rat spinal cord slices. Bath application of nociceptin (0.1-1 micromol/L) suppressed excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSP) and hyperpolarized a population of SPN; these effects were naloxone (1 micromol/L) insensitive. 2. Nociceptin suppressed the amplitude of EPSP without causing a concomitant change in glutamate-induced depolarizations, suggesting a presynaptic inhibitory action. 3. Analysis of current-voltage relationships showed that nociceptin hyperpolarized SPN by increasing an inwardly rectifying K+ current. 4. Intrathecal injection of nociceptin (3, 10 and 30 nmol) to urethane-anaesthetized rats dose-dependently reduced the mean arterial pressure and heart rate; these effects were not prevented by prior intravenous injection of naloxone (1 mg/kg). 5. Results from our in vitro and in vivo experiments suggest that nociceptin suppresses spinal sympathetic outflow either by attenuating excitatory synaptic responses or hyperpolarizing SPN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, James H Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee 37614, USA.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Brailoiu
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Dun
mesh_terms: D000320:Adrenergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001339:Autonomic Fibers, Preganglionic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000097629:Nociceptin
chemical_list: D018847:Opioid Peptides; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000097629:Nociceptin