Influence of electrical stimulation of the substantia nigra on spontaneous activity of raphe neurons in the anesthetized rat.

Recent studies of afferent connections of the anterior raphe using the horseradish peroxidase technique have demonstrated a major projection originating in the substantia nigra (SN). The present acute electrophysiological study examined the influence of stimulation of the afferent on the activity of individual neurons in the raphe of the posterior midbrain and anterior pons (n = 51), and of a control group of cells (n = 15) located 2 mm lateral to the raphe. The predominant effect of SN stimulation at 0.1-1.0 mA, 1 Hz or 10 Hz, was suppression of raphe activity, with 63% of the cells showing cessation of firing following SN pulses and only 8% showing excitation. The average duration of suppression was 200 msec at 1 Hz and 38 msec at 10 Hz. In contrast, 40% of the lateral cells were excited, with 27% of the cells showing suppression. The mean duration of total suppression of lateral cell firing was 61 and 17 msec at 1 and 10 Hz, respectively. The results from the raphe cells are consistent with recent reports of stimulation of other forebrain and brainstem afferents to the raphe in which suppression of raphe activity was the main effect.