Visceral afferent bias on cortical processing: role of adrenergic afferents to the basal forebrain cholinergic system.
Intraperitoneal epinephrine enhances the cerebral auditory evoked potential (AEP), an effect that is dependent on the basal forebrain cortical cholinergic system. The present study examined the hypothesis that ascending noradrenergic projections from brainstem autonomic substrates to the basal forebrain cholinergic system represent an essential component of the ascending pathway mediating this effect of epinephrine. Epinephrine again enhanced the AEP in rats, and this effect was attenuated by infusion of the selective alpha1 adrenergic antagonist terazosin into the basal forebrain. Moreover, infusions of the selective alpha1 adrenergic agonist phenylephrine into the basal forebrain mimicked the priming effects of epinephrine. Results support the hypothesis that noradrenergic afferents to the basal forebrain cholinergic system represent a component of an ascending visceral afferent system.
Knox
Dayan
D
Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43120, USA.
Sarter
Martin
M
Berntson
Gary G
GG
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000502:physiology*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D011224:Prazosin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017833:Visceral Afferents / Q000502:physiology*
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; C041226:Terazosin; D009638:Norepinephrine; D011224:Prazosin; D004837:Epinephrine