Hypothalamic supraoptic neurones: rates and patterns of action potential firing during water deprivation in the unanaesthetized monkey.

Extracellularly recorded action potentials were obtained from hypothalamic supraoptic neurones in unanaesthetized rhesus monkeys. Rates and patterns of firing were studied during an initial control period, during 5 successive days of water deprivation and during 4 further days when drinking water was again available. During water deprivation, plasma osmolarity increased progressively from about 300 mOsmoles/kg to about 340 mOsmoles/kg; control values were again reached after 3 days of rehydration. Systematic changes in action potential firing accompanied the changes in plasma osmolarity. Under control conditions, the majority of cells fire slowly and irregularly (type i), whilst a few cells exhibited phases of alternating activity and silence (type p). As dehydration progresses, the frequency of neuronal firing increase and the pattern of firing changes. By the third day the majority of cells are type p with few type i cells being found. By the fourth day, the population consists of type p cells with some others showing a high continuous rate of firing (type c). By the fifth day, these two cell types are found in approximately equal proportions. Rehydration of the animal reverses the situation. We propose that type i cells contribute little, if at all, to hormone secretion, while type p and type c cells would be in a more actively secreting state. According to this view, the three firing patterns would represent different activity states of the same functional population stimulated by the unspecific stimulus of water deprivation rather than functionally different neurones. However, the use of stimuli which selectively release either oxytocin or vasopressin may be needed to answer this problem.