alpha 2-adrenoceptor-mediated hyperpolarization of locus coeruleus neurons: intracellular studies in vivo

Intracellular recordings in vivo from noradrenergic neurons in the rat locus coeruleus showed that membrane potential was hyperpolarized by the administration of clonidine (an alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist) or after a burst of spikes evoked by intracellular pulses; both types of hyperpolarization wer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inScience (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 215; no. 4538; pp. 1394 - 1396
Main Authors Aghajanian, G K, VanderMaelen, C P
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 12.03.1982
Subjects
Animals
Clonidine - pharmacology
Locus Coeruleus - physiology
Male
Membrane Potentials - drug effects
Piperoxan - pharmacology
Rats
Receptors, Adrenergic - physiology
Receptors, Adrenergic, alpha - physiology
Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology
Synaptic Transmission - drug effects
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Summary:Intracellular recordings in vivo from noradrenergic neurons in the rat locus coeruleus showed that membrane potential was hyperpolarized by the administration of clonidine (an alpha 2-adrenoceptor agonist) or after a burst of spikes evoked by intracellular pulses; both types of hyperpolarization were associated with a decrease in membrane input resistance, and both could be blocked by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist piperoxane. These results suggest that a hyperpolarization of membrane potential mediated by an alpha 2-adrenoceptor underlies both clonidine- and activation-induced inhibition of locus coeruleus cell firing.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.6278591