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Increased subthalamic neuronal activity after dorsal raphe nucleus lesion by 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine in the rat

Liu Jian, Zhu Yuxia, Feng Jie, Wang Yong, Zhang Qiaojun, Xu Linping

Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University.Xi’an 710061,Shaanxi；China

Abstract

In vivo extracellular recordings were made in the subthalamic nucleus (STN) of intact control rats and rats with 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT) –produced lesion of dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN). The results showed that the firing rate of STN neurons in control rats and DRN-lesioned rats were 6.93±6.55 Hz and 11.27±9.31 Hz, respectively, the firing rate of DRN-lesioned rats was significantly increased when compared to control rats (P<0.01). In control rats, 13% of STN neurons discharged regularly, 46% irregularly and 41% in bursts. In DRN-lesioned rats, 9% of STN neurons discharged regularly, 14% irregularly and 77% in bursts, the percentage of STN neurons firing in bursts was obviously higher than that of control rats (P<0.01). In addition, the mean interspike interval coefficient of variation of STN neurons in control rats and DRN-lesioned rats were 0.05±0.04 and 0.11±0.09, respectively, the mean interspike interval coefficient of variation of DRN-lesioned rats being significantly higher than that of control rats (P<0.001). These results show that the firing rate and the bursting pattern rate of neurons in STN of DRN-lesioned rats are increased significantly, suggesting that DRN inhibits the neuronal activity of the subthalamic neurons in the intact rat.

Key words: Subthalamic nucleus;Dorsal raphe nucleus;5,7-dihydroxytryptamine;Rat

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Citing This Article：

Liu Jian, Zhu Yuxia, Feng Jie, Wang Yong, Zhang Qiaojun, Xu Linping. Increased subthalamic neuronal activity after dorsal raphe nucleus lesion by 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine in the rat. Acta Physiol Sin 2005; 57 (1): (in Chinese with English abstract).