Characteristicas and response differences to iontophoretically applied norepinephrine, D-amphetamine and acetylcholine on neurons in the medial and lateral vestibular nuclei of the cat.

Midcollicular decerebrate cats, with their cerebellum removes, were tested with controlled acceleratory motion in order to identify neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) and lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) which responded to a motion stimulus. Five-barredled micropipettes were used to record single neuron activity and to apply norepinephrine (NE), d-amphetamine and acetylcholine (ACh). These agents were studied on spontaneously firing cells which responded to a motion stimulus and others which were in the MVN were inhibited by NE and d-amphetamine but were unaffected by iontophoresis of the alpha-adrenergic blocking agent phentolamine or the beta-antagonists, MJ-1999 or propranolol. In the LVN a majority of the cells tested were excited by NE and d-amphetamine. NE excitation in the LVN was antagonized by phentolamine but not by MJ-1999 or propranolo. Cats pretreated with reserpine to deplete brain catechlamines showed typical responses to NE BUT IONTOPHORESIS OF D-AMPHETAMINE WAS WITHOUT EFFECT. Unlike the differential sensitivity observed for NE, ACh excited most cells in both the MVN and LVN. NE and ACh produced similar responsed on vestibular neurons modulated by motion and those not responsive to motion. These observations suggest that NE-containing terminals are in close proximity to the vestibular neurons which were tested and further implicate both NE and ACh as neurotransmitters in afferent pathways to the vestibular nuclei.