title: Effects of stimulation of the superior cervical Ganglia and local application of noradrenaline on electrical activity of the Syrian hamster pineal gland.
abstract: Abstract The effects of electrical stimulation of either or both superior cervical ganglia and the effects of local application of L-noradrenaline on the spontaneous electrical activity of hamster pineal cells were evaluated. Extracellular recordings from pineals of anaesthetized hamsters revealed that the spontaneous electrical activity was mainly regular with interspike intervals attributed between 12 to 20 ms during the daytime and mainly irregular with interspike intervals of 1 to 250 ms during the night. Following stimulation of the superior cervical ganglia, either unilaterally or bilaterally, or local application of noradrenaline, the responses of these pineal cells fell into three major categories: A) non-responsive, B) excited, and C) inhibited. There was no relationship between the magnitude or form of response and the source of stimulus i.e. the right superior cervical ganglia or the left superior cervical ganglia. Almost all inhibited responses from electrical stimulation of the superior cervical ganglia could be correlated with inhibited responses from the local application of noradrenaline whereas excited responses could not. In general, these results suggest that the spontaneous electrical activity of some pineal cells is influenced by inputs from the superior cervical ganglia and that the inhibitory input is likely to be mediated through the release of noradrenaline. The excitatory input from the superior cervical ganglia is probably mediated by another neurotransmitter. The heterogeneity of responses suggests that different receptors or different cell types may be involved.
authors.affiliation: Biomedical Sciences Division, King's College London, University of London, Campden Hill Road, Kensington, London W8 7AH, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Demaine