Pharmacological studies upon neurones of the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat.

Indoles related to 5-hydroxytryptamine, lysergic acid derivatives, phenethylamine derivatives and some other compounds have been applied electrophoretically to the neurones of the lateral geniculate nucleus of the cat anaesthetized with pentobarbitone sodium. Many of these compounds, particularly 4-, 5- and 7-hydroxytryptamine and ergometrine, depress the orthodromic excitation of the neurones by volleys in optic nerve fibres, but do not affect antidromic excitation by volleys in the optic radiation or chemical excitation by L-glutamic acid. It is concluded that the active depressants either block the access of the excitatory transmitter to subsynaptic receptors or prevent the release of the transmitter from optic nerve terminals. The structure-activity relationships of the depressant substances are discussed.