HOMEPRODUCTSCOMPANYCONTACTFAQResearchDictionaryPharmaSign Up FREE or Login

Integrative responses of neurons in parabrachial nuclei to a nauseogenic gastrointestinal stimulus and vestibular stimulation in vertical planes.

Abstract
The parabrachial and adjacent Kölliker-Fuse (PBN/KF) nuclei play a key role in relaying visceral afferent inputs to the hypothalamus and limbic system and are, thus, believed to participate in generating nausea and affective responses elicited by gastrointestinal (GI) signals. In addition, the PBN/KF region receives inputs from the vestibular system and likely mediates the malaise associated with motion sickness. However, previous studies have not considered whether GI and vestibular inputs converge on the same PBN/KF neurons, and if so, whether the GI signals alter the responses of the cells to body motion. The present study, conducted in decerebrate cats, tested the hypothesis that intragastric injection of copper sulfate, which elicits emesis by irritating the stomach lining, modifies the sensitivity of PBN/KF neurons to vertical plane rotations that activate vestibular receptors. Intragastric copper sulfate produced a 70% median change in the gain of responses to vertical plane rotations of PBN/KF units, whose firing rate was modified by the administration of the compound; the response gains for 16 units increased and those for 17 units decreased. The effects were often dramatic: out of 51 neurons tested, 13 responded to the rotations only after copper sulfate was injected, whereas 10 others responded only before drug delivery. These data show that a subset of PBN/KF neurons, whose activity is altered by a nauseogenic stimulus also respond to body motion and that irritation of the stomach lining can either cause an amplification or reduction in the sensitivity of the units to vestibular inputs. The findings imply that nausea and affective responses to vestibular stimuli may be modified by the presence of emetic signals from the GI system.
AuthorsTakeshi Suzuki, Yoichiro Sugiyama, Bill J Yates
JournalAmerican journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology (Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol) Vol. 302 Issue 8 Pg. R965-75 (Apr 15 2012) ISSN: 1522-1490 [Electronic] United States
PMID22277934 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)
Topics
  • Animals
  • Cats
  • Female
  • Male
  • Motion Sickness (physiopathology)
  • Nausea (physiopathology)
  • Neurons (physiology)
  • Orientation (physiology)
  • Otolithic Membrane (physiopathology)
  • Pons (physiopathology)
  • Semicircular Canals (physiopathology)
  • Visceral Afferents (physiopathology)

Join CureHunter, for free Research Interface BASIC access!

Take advantage of free CureHunter research engine access to explore the best drug and treatment options for any disease. Find out why thousands of doctors, pharma researchers and patient activists around the world use CureHunter every day.
Realize the full power of the drug-disease research graph!


Choose Username:
Email:
Password:
Verify Password:
Enter Code Shown: