Microinjection of angiotensin (Ang) II or substance P (SP) into the medial nucleus tractus solitarii (nTS) produces similar decreases in arterial pressure and heart rate. We previously reported that some medial nTS neurons responsive to SP were also excited by Ang II, and that Ang II increased the release of SP from medulla slices. Both electrophysiological and anatomic data suggest that the cardiovascular effects of these peptides may be mediated by a common neuronal pathway consisting of SP-containing vagal afferent fibers with presynaptic Ang II receptors that innervate medial nTS neurons with SP receptors. To evaluate the validity of this model, we established the presynaptic or postsynaptic location of the receptors for Ang II and SP that mediate excitation of medial nTS neurons by determining the capacity of each peptide to activate the cell before and after blocking synaptic transmission in rat dorsal medulla slices. 2. Extracellular recordings were obtained from 55 medial nTS neurons responsive to Ang II or SP in 400-microns horizontal slices of the dorsal medulla. Neuronal excitation by Ang II and SP was tested before, during, and after reversal of synaptic blockade with low-Ca2+ (0.2 mM), high Mg2+ (5 mM) artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF). Elimination of synaptically evoked short latency responses of the neuron to current pulses applied to afferent fibers in the solitary tract (TS) documented blockade of synaptic transmission by low-Ca2+ aCSF. In most cases, the basal firing rate of the cell increased slowly during perfusion with low-Ca2+ aCSF and stabilized after approximately 30 min at a higher level of spontaneous activity. Responses to the peptides and TS stimulation were also documented after synaptic blockade had been reversed by adding aCSF containing 2-mM Ca2+. 3. Of the 55 medial nTS neurons, 41 were responsive to Ang II; whereas, 50 of the 55 cells were responsive to SP. The neurons were divided into three subgroups on the basis of their responsiveness to Ang II and SP. Although most neurons were responsive to both Ang II and SP (n = 36), five other cells were excited only by Ang II, and 14 neurons were activated only by SP. Of the 55 neurons, 26 were also responsive to L-glutamate: 14 of 17 cells responsive to both Ang II and SP, all 5 neurons excited by Ang II but not by SP, and 7 of 10 neurons responsive only to SP were also excited by L-glutamate. The latency of the action potentials evoked by TS stimulation was much shorter in those neurons responsive only to Ang II (3.6 ms) than in cells excited by both Ang II and SP (6.8 ms) or responsive only to SP (7.4 ms). 4. In 21 of the 36 medial nTS neurons responsive to both Ang II and SP, Ang II continued to excite the cell when synaptic responses to TS stimulation were prevented by low-Ca2+ aCSF, but had no effect on the firing rate of the other 15 neurons during synaptic blockade. Excitation induced by Ang II was also prevented in two of the five medial nTS neurons responsive only to Ang II when synaptic transmission in the slice was blocked. Low-Ca2+ aCSF failed to prevent excitation by SP or L-glutamate in all medial nTS cells responsive to these agonists (n = 50 and n = 26, respectively). In contrast to these observations in medial nTS neurons, Ang II-induced excitation was not altered during synaptic blockade in any of the six dmnX cells studied. No responses to SP or L-glutamate were blocked in dmnX neurons, as also seen in the medial nTS. 5. When all medial nTS neurons responsive to Ang II were examined, the latencies of the response to TS stimulation were significantly shorter in those neurons with presynaptic Ang II receptors than in the group of cells with postsynaptic receptors. In addition, neurons with presynaptic Ang II receptors were distributed differently within the medial nTS than cells with postsynaptic Ang II receptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)
