Tonic regulation of the activity of noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus of the conscious rat studied by dual-probe microdialysis.

In the present study, receptor specific compounds were infused via a microdialysis probe in the vicinity of the right locus coeruleus (LC). During the infusion of these compounds, the extracellular content of noradrenaline was recorded in the ipsilateral medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) with a second microdialysis probe. Agonists and antagonists of various subtypes receptors that have been described to be localized on LC cells, were infused near the LC. The receptors investigated were: alpha2-adrenergic, muscarinic, nicotinic, GABAergic (GABAA and GABAB), glutamatergic (NMDA and non-NMDA). The compounds infused were: clonidine (100 microM), idazoxan (50 microM), bicuculline (50 microM), muscimol (50 microM), baclofen (50 microM), CGP52432 (100 microM), NMDA (300 microM), CPP (300 microM), kainate (100 microM), DNQX (500 microM), oxotremorine (100 microM), atropine (10 microM), nicotine (100 microM) and mecamylamine (100 microM). Evidence was provided that GABAA, NMDA, non-NMDA glutamate, and muscarinic cholinergic receptors in the LC played roles in controlling the activity of noradrenaline neurons. The LC noradrenergic neurons were not tonically excitated by glutamatergic or cholinergic afferent neurons, and were not tonically inhibited by alpha2 autoreceptors. Tonic inhibition was evident for GABAergic neurons, acting via GABAA receptors. Copyright 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.