Facilitation of the jaw reflexes by stimulation of the red nucleus in the rat.
The effects of the red nucleus (RN) stimulation on the jaw-opening reflex (JOR) and the masseteric monosynaptic reflex (MMR) were studied in anesthetized rats. The JOR was evoked by electrical stimulation of the inferior alveolar nerve. The MMR was evoked by electrical stimulation of the mesencephalic trigeminal nucleus. The JOR and the MMR were recorded as electromyographic responses of the anterior belly of the digastric and the masseter muscles, respectively. The conditioning electrical stimulation of the RN facilitated both the JOR and the MMR bilaterally. The facilitatory effect on the JOR was much larger than that on the MMR. Additionally, microinjection of monosodium glutamate into the RN also elicited facilitation of the JOR and the MMR. The results suggest the RN plays an important role in reflex control of jaw movements.
Satoh
Yoshihide
Y
Department of Physiology, School of Dentistry at Niigata, The Nippon Dental University, 1-8 Hamaura-cho, Niigata 951-8580, Japan. ysatoh@ngt.ndu.ac.jp
Ishizuka
Ken'Ichi
K
Murakami
Toshiki
T
D000818:Animals; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005503:Food Additives / Q000494:pharmacology; D007839:Functional Laterality; D007568:Jaw / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012012:Red Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology*; D012970:Sodium Glutamate / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014278:Trigeminal Nuclei / Q000502:physiology
D005503:Food Additives; D012970:Sodium Glutamate