Baroreceptor inhibition of subretrofacial neurons: evidence from intracellular recordings in the cat.

Neurons of the subretrofacial nucleus in the rostral ventrolateral medulla have been studied by in vivo intracellular recording in the chloralose-anaesthetized cat. Impalements of sufficient quality to demonstrate inhibition by carotid baroreceptor stimulation (blind sac inflation) were obtained for 9 cells. In 8 of these, a clear hyperpolarization followed approximately 100-200 ms after the baroreceptor stimulus, reaching a maximum of 2-9 mV, 200-500 ms later. These findings confirm by more direct methods the inhibition of subretrofacial neurons by arterial baroreceptors.