GABA exerts opposite influence on warm and cold sensitive neurons in medial preoptic area in rats

Jha, Sushil K. ; Islam, Fakhrul ; Mallick, Birendra N. (2001) GABA exerts opposite influence on warm and cold sensitive neurons in medial preoptic area in rats Journal of Neurobiology, 48 (4). pp. 291-300. ISSN 0022-3034

Full text not available from this repository.

Official URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/neu.105...

Related URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/neu.1058

Abstract

The preoptic area regulates body temperature. GABA-ergic terminals and receptors are present in this area. Local microinjection studies have shown that GABA, its agonist, and its antagonist in this area may modulate body temperature. However, there are warm and cold sensitive neurons, and they are known to be affected by local and peripheral temperatures. In order to understand the mechanism of action of GABA in temperature regulation at the cellular level it was necessary to study the effect of GABA on individual thermosensitive neurons in in vivo preparations. Hence, in this study the responses of preoptic area thermosensitive and insensitive neurons to microiontophoretic application of picrotoxin, a GABA-A antagonist, were studied in anaesthetized rats. It was observed that a majority of both the thermosensitive and insensitive neurons were affected by microiontophoretic application of picrotoxin. Although almost an equal number of cold and warm sensitive neurons were affected, a majority of the cold sensitive neurons were excited, while a majority of the warm sensitive neurons were inhibited by picrotoxin. The results suggested that in normal conditions GABA acts through GABA-A receptor in modulating the spontaneous activity of thermosensitive neurons in the preoptic area. Furthermore, the results of the present study taken together with other reports suggest that normally GABA exerts a direct inhibitory action on the cold sensitive neurons, while it acts on presynaptic heteroreceptors, possibly on norepinephrinergic afferent input terminals on the warm sensitive neurons, for mediating its action.

Item Type:Article
Source:Copyright of this article belongs to John Wiley and Sons.
Keywords:GABA-A Receptors; Iontophoresis; mPOAH; Picrotoxin; Thermosensitive Neurons
ID Code:75515
Deposited On:24 Dec 2011 05:04
Last Modified:24 Dec 2011 05:04

Repository Staff Only: item control page