Subfornical organ neurons with efferent projections to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus: an electrophysiological study in the rat.

Seventeen neurons in the subfornical organ (SFO) were antidromically activated by electrical stimulation of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) in the rat. The activity of all identified SFO neurons was excited by microiontophoretically (MIPh) applied angiotensin II (AII) and the effect of AII was blocked by MIPh-applied saralasin (Sar), an AII antagonist, but not by atropine (Atr), a muscarinic antagonist. In these identified SFO neurons, 9 were also excited and 8 were not affected by MIPh-applied acetylcholine (ACh) and the effect of ACh was attenuated by not only MIPh-applied Atr but also by Sar. These results suggest that there are specific AII- and both AII- and ACh-sensitive types of SFO neurons with efferent projections to the PVN.