Cerebellar interpositus nuclear inputs impinge on paraventricular neurons of the hypothalamus in rats

Neurosci Lett. 2004 Nov 3;370(1):25-9. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2004.07.072.

Abstract

Several reports have indicated that the cerebellum is involved in regulation of some non-somatic activities through the cerebellohypothalamic projections. Therefore, the modulatory effects of the cerebellar interpositus nucleus (IN) on neuronal activity of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) was investigated in this study by using in vivo extracellular recording technique in rats. We recorded from 115 PVN neurons, 51 (44.3%) responded to the cerebellar IN stimulation. Of the responsive PVN neurons tested for their sensitivity to hypertensive and/or hyperosmotic stimulations, 66.7% (6/9) and 75.0% (6/8) responded to intravenous metaraminol and hypertonic saline administration, respectively. These results demonstrate that the cerebellar IN afferent inputs impinge on the PVN neurons, including those baroreflex-sensitive and osmoresponsive neurons, suggesting that the cerebellum may actively participate in the cardiovascular regulation and osmoregulation through the cerebellohypothalamic projections.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials / physiology
  • Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Cell Count / methods
  • Cerebellar Nuclei / cytology*
  • Electric Stimulation / methods
  • Female
  • Male
  • Metaraminol / pharmacology
  • Neural Pathways / drug effects
  • Neural Pathways / physiology*
  • Neurons / drug effects
  • Neurons / physiology*
  • Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus / cytology*
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Saline Solution, Hypertonic / pharmacology

Substances

  • Adrenergic alpha-Agonists
  • Saline Solution, Hypertonic
  • Metaraminol