Biomaterial Database

Primary afferent excitatory transmission recorded intracellularly in vitro from rat medial vestibular neurons. 1989

M R Lewis, and K D Phelan, and P Shinnick-Gallagher, and J P Gallagher

Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550.

Intracellular recordings were made from rat medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neurons in transverse brain slices containing the root of the vestibular nerve (N. VIII). Electrical stimuli applied to the N. VIII tract evoked an orthodromic excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) that lasted about 50 ms following a 0.5 to 1.5 ms delay between the stimulus artifact and synaptic potential. These orthodromic EPSPs were insensitive to the following antagonists: atropine, hexamethonium, diphenhydramine, and caffeine. Based on these results we conclude that the primary afferent excitatory transmitter is not acetylcholine, histamine, or adenosine, respectively. However, kynurenic acid, a general excitatory amino acid receptor antagonist, blocked the orthodromic EPSP while having no effect on the resting membrane potential, input resistance, or action potential configuration of MVN neurons. Our data suggest that an excitatory amino acid, or amino acid-like substance, is responsible for primary afferent excitatory transmission in the rat medial vestibular nucleus.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007736	Kynurenic Acid	A broad-spectrum excitatory amino acid antagonist used as a research tool.	Kynurenate,Acid, Kynurenic
D008297	Male		Males
D009475	Neurons, Afferent	Neurons which conduct NERVE IMPULSES to the CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM.	Afferent Neurons,Afferent Neuron,Neuron, Afferent
D011919	Rats, Inbred Strains	Genetically identical individuals developed from brother and sister matings which have been carried out for twenty or more generations or by parent x offspring matings carried out with certain restrictions. This also includes animals with a long history of closed colony breeding.	August Rats,Inbred Rat Strains,Inbred Strain of Rat,Inbred Strain of Rats,Inbred Strains of Rats,Rat, Inbred Strain,August Rat,Inbred Rat Strain,Inbred Strain Rat,Inbred Strain Rats,Inbred Strains Rat,Inbred Strains Rats,Rat Inbred Strain,Rat Inbred Strains,Rat Strain, Inbred,Rat Strains, Inbred,Rat, August,Rat, Inbred Strains,Rats Inbred Strain,Rats Inbred Strains,Rats, August,Rats, Inbred Strain,Strain Rat, Inbred,Strain Rats, Inbred,Strain, Inbred Rat,Strains, Inbred Rat
D011956	Receptors, Cell Surface	Cell surface proteins that bind signalling molecules external to the cell with high affinity and convert this extracellular event into one or more intracellular signals that alter the behavior of the target cell (From Alberts, Molecular Biology of the Cell, 2nd ed, pp693-5). Cell surface receptors, unlike enzymes, do not chemically alter their ligands.	Cell Surface Receptor,Cell Surface Receptors,Hormone Receptors, Cell Surface,Receptors, Endogenous Substances,Cell Surface Hormone Receptors,Endogenous Substances Receptors,Receptor, Cell Surface,Surface Receptor, Cell
D004558	Electric Stimulation	Use of electric potential or currents to elicit biological responses.	Stimulation, Electric,Electrical Stimulation,Electric Stimulations,Electrical Stimulations,Stimulation, Electrical,Stimulations, Electric,Stimulations, Electrical
D000200	Action Potentials	Abrupt changes in the membrane potential that sweep along the CELL MEMBRANE of excitable cells in response to excitation stimuli.	Spike Potentials,Nerve Impulses,Action Potential,Impulse, Nerve,Impulses, Nerve,Nerve Impulse,Potential, Action,Potential, Spike,Potentials, Action,Potentials, Spike,Spike Potential
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001224	Aspartic Acid	One of the non-essential amino acids commonly occurring in the L-form. It is found in animals and plants, especially in sugar cane and sugar beets. It may be a neurotransmitter.	(+-)-Aspartic Acid,(R,S)-Aspartic Acid,Ammonium Aspartate,Aspartate,Aspartate Magnesium Hydrochloride,Aspartic Acid, Ammonium Salt,Aspartic Acid, Calcium Salt,Aspartic Acid, Dipotassium Salt,Aspartic Acid, Disodium Salt,Aspartic Acid, Hydrobromide,Aspartic Acid, Hydrochloride,Aspartic Acid, Magnesium (1:1) Salt, Hydrochloride, Trihydrate,Aspartic Acid, Magnesium (2:1) Salt,Aspartic Acid, Magnesium-Potassium (2:1:2) Salt,Aspartic Acid, Monopotassium Salt,Aspartic Acid, Monosodium Salt,Aspartic Acid, Potassium Salt,Aspartic Acid, Sodium Salt,Calcium Aspartate,Dipotassium Aspartate,Disodium Aspartate,L-Aspartate,L-Aspartic Acid,Magnesiocard,Magnesium Aspartate,Mg-5-Longoral,Monopotassium Aspartate,Monosodium Aspartate,Potassium Aspartate,Sodium Aspartate,Aspartate, Ammonium,Aspartate, Calcium,Aspartate, Dipotassium,Aspartate, Disodium,Aspartate, Magnesium,Aspartate, Monopotassium,Aspartate, Monosodium,Aspartate, Potassium,Aspartate, Sodium,L Aspartate,L Aspartic Acid
D014726	Vestibular Nuclei	The four cellular masses in the floor of the fourth ventricle giving rise to a widely dispersed special sensory system. Included is the superior, medial, inferior, and LATERAL VESTIBULAR NUCLEUS. (From Dorland, 27th ed)	Schwalbe Nucleus,Vestibular Nucleus, Medial,Schwalbe's Nucleus,Medial Vestibular Nucleus,Nuclei, Vestibular,Nucleus, Medial Vestibular,Nucleus, Schwalbe,Nucleus, Schwalbe's,Schwalbes Nucleus