Tonic GABAergic inhibition of taste-responsive neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract |
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Authors: | Smith DV; Li CS |
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Institution: | Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore 21201-1509, USA. dvsmith@umaryland.edu |
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Abstract: | The effects of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and the GABAA receptor
antagonist bicuculline methiodide (BICM) on the activity of taste-
responsive neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) were examined
electrophysiologically in urethane-anesthetized hamsters. Single neurons in
the NST were recorded extracellularly and drugs (21 nl) were microinjected
into the vicinity of the cell via a multibarrel pipette. The response of
each cell was recorded to lingual stimulation with 0.032 M NaCl, 0.032 M
sucrose, 0.0032 M citric acid and 0.032 M quinine hydrochloride (QHCl).
Forty-six neurons were tested for the effects of GABA; the activity of 29
cells (63%) was inhibited by 5 mM GABA. Whether activity was elicited in
these cells by repetitive anodal current stimulation (25 microA, 0.5 s, 0.1
Hz) of the tongue (n = 13 cells) or the cells were spontaneously active (n
= 13 cells), GABA produced a dose-dependent (1, 2 and 5 mM) decrement in
activity. Forty- seven NST neurons were tested for the effects of BICM on
their responses to chemical stimulation of the tongue; the responses of 28
cells (60%) were enhanced by 10 mM BICM. The gustatory responses of 26 of
these cells were tested with three concentrations (0.2, 2 and 10 mM) of
BICM, which produced a dose-dependent increase in both spontaneous activity
and taste-evoked responses. Nine of these neurons were sucrose- best, seven
were NaCl-best, eight were acid-best and two responded best to QHCl. The
responses to all four tastants were enhanced, with no difference among
neuron types. For 18 cells that were tested with two or more gustatory
stimuli, BICM increased their breadth of responsiveness to their two most
effective stimuli. These data show that approximately 60% of the
taste-responsive neurons in the rostral NST are inhibited by GABA and/or
subject to a tonic inhibitory influence, which is mediated by GABAA
receptors. The modulation of these cells by GABA provides a mechanism by
which the breadth of tuning of the cell can be sharpened. Modulation of
gustatory activity following a number of physiological changes could be
mediated by such a GABAergic circuit.
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