Abstract
The effects of stimulating locus coeruleus (LC) on neuronal activity of cerebellar fastigii nucleus (FN) was investigated. Stimulation of LC elicited inhibitory, excitatory and biphasic (inhibition-excitation) responses from FN cells. The majority of responsive cells showed an inhibitory response with a latency of less than 10 ms. Injection of a adrenoreceptor antagonists phentolamine (iV) could block the inhibitory response of FN cells to the LC stimulation, but propranolol (IV), a β adrenoreceptor antagonist, could not. These results suggest that LC-cerebellar noradrenergic afferent fibers may be involved in the cerebellar sensorimotor integration process by exerting their modulatory action on the cerebellar nuclear cells’ activities.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Ottersen, O. P., Neurotransmitters in the cerebellum,Rev Neurol (Paris), 1993, 149: 629.
Hoffer, B. J., Siggins, G. K., Oliver, A. P.et al., Activation of the pathway from locus coeruleus to rat cerebellar Purkinje neurons: pharmacological evidence of noradrenergic central inhibition.J. Phormacol. Exp. Ther., 1973, 184: 553.
Mori-Okamoto, J., Namii, Y., Tatsuno, J., Subtypes of adrenergic receptors and intracelluar mechanisms involved in modulatory effects of noradrenaline on glutamate,Brain Res., 1991, 539: 67.
Cheun, J. E., Yen, H. H., Modulation of GAW receptor-activated current by norepinephrine in cerebellar Purkinje cells,Neurosic., 1992, 51: 951.
Paxinas, G., Waston, C.,The Rat Bruin in Stereotaxic Coordinates, Sydney: Academic Press. 1986.
Chen, W. Y., Wang, J. J., Yu, Q. X., Effects of dorsal raphe stimulation on activities of cerebellar nuclear neurons in the rat,Acta Physiologica Sinica. 1996, 48: 132.
Basile, A. S., Dunwiddie, T., Norepinephrine elicits both excitatory and inhibitory responses from Purkinje cells in thein vitro cerebellar slice,Brain Res., 1984, 296: 15.
Nicholas, A. P., Pieribone, V. A., Hokfelt, T., Distribution of mRNAs for alpha-2 adrenergic receptor subtypes in rat brain: anin ritu hybridization study,J. Comp. Neurol., 1993, 328: 575.
Nicholas, A. P., Pieribone, V. A., Hokfelt, T., Cellular localization of messenger RNA for beta-1 and beta-2 adrenergic receptors in rat brain: anin situ hydridization study,Neurosci., 1993, 56: 1–023.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
About this article
Cite this article
Tao, W., Jianjun, W., Hong, C. et al. Modulation of neuronal activity of cerebellar fastigial nucleus by locus coeruleus stimulation in the rat. Chin. Sci. Bull. 43, 940–944 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02884618
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02884618