Release of the nitric oxide precursor, arginine, from the thalamus upon sensory afferent stimulation, and its effect on thalamic neurons in vivo.
Details
Serval ID
serval:BIB_445065A6B122
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Release of the nitric oxide precursor, arginine, from the thalamus upon sensory afferent stimulation, and its effect on thalamic neurons in vivo.
Journal
Neuroscience
ISSN
0306-4522 (Print)
ISSN-L
0306-4522
Publication state
Published
Issued date
1994
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
60
Number
3
Pages
581-586
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tPublication Status: ppublish
Abstract
The neurophysiology and neuroanatomy of the thalamus have been extensively studied in a variety of species and sensory systems. The identity of the neurotransmitter(s) which mediate the excitation from ascending sensory afferents on to thalamic relay neurons is, however, still unclear, although it appears to be a substance which is a ligand for excitatory amino acid receptors, as the responses of ventrobasal thalamus neurons to natural stimulation of somatosensory afferents arising from the mustachial vibrissae of the rat are mediated by ionotropic excitatory amino acid receptors, when stimulation is performed using an air-jet directed at the vibrissa receptor field. In an effort to determine the transmitter of these sensory afferents, we have attempted to detect the release of amino acids in the ventrobasal thalamus in vivo upon such stimuli. We have thus used a similar natural stimulation protocol, together with push-pull perfusion and recording in the ventrobasal thalamus, and we describe the release of the amino acid, arginine, in this brain area following physiological stimulation of afferents. Furthermore, we show that application of L-arginine on to thalamic relay neurons can facilitate sensory synaptic transmission, possibly via the synthesis of the diffusable messenger, free radical gas, nitric oxide. This may represent a novel, local positive-feedback, modulatory system which could enhance the responsiveness of thalamic neurons to sensory input.
Keywords
Afferent Pathways/physiology, Animals, Arginine/analogs & derivatives, Arginine/pharmacology, Glutamic Acid/analysis, Male, N-Methylaspartate/pharmacology, NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester, Neurons/drug effects, Neurons, Afferent/physiology, Nitric Oxide/physiology, Potassium/pharmacology, Rats, Rats, Wistar, Synaptic Transmission/drug effects, Thalamus/cytology, Thalamus/drug effects, Vibrissae/physiology, alpha-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic Acid/pharmacology
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
07/03/2014 8:53
Last modification date
20/08/2019 13:48