title: Activation of the dorsal periaqueductal gray in the rat induces Fos-like immunoreactivity in select non-cholinergic mesopontine neurons.
abstract: Autonomic responses evoked from the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) have been reported to be mediated in part by acetylcholine release in the medulla. To identify the possible origin of cholinergic neurons activated by dPAG stimulation, the pattern of Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in the mesopontine cholinergic cell groups was examined in three groups of urethane anesthetized rats. Relative to surgery (n=6) and blood pressure control groups (n=6), chemical disinhibition of the dPAG (n=10) induced a significant increase in FLI in the lateral dorsal tegmental nucleus (LDTg) but not the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus. LDTg neurons stained for choline acetyltransferase immunoreactivity however did not co-label for FLI. Other pontomesencephalic regions outside of the dPAG demonstrating a significant increase in FLI relative to controls included the lateral and ventrolateral columns of the PAG, the cuneiform nucleus, dorsal raphe, and the microcellular tegmental nucleus. These findings suggest that acetylcholine release in during dPAG stimulation does not originate from mesopontine neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological Sciences, University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine, 1600 SW Archer Road, PO 100144, Gainesville, FL 32610-0144, USA. lindah@ufl.edu
authors.forename: Linda F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Hayward
authors.forename: Mabelin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castellanos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010487:Periaqueductal Gray / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011149:Pons / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D018756:GABA Antagonists; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D010656:Phenylephrine