Effects of dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate and dibutyryl cyclic guanosine monophosphate on neuron activity of suprachiasmatic nucleus in rat hypothalamic slice preparation.

In order to elucidate the role of cyclic nucleotides in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, we examined the effect of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (c-AMP) and dibutyryl cyclic GMP (c-GMP) on single neuronal activity of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the rat. A hypothalamic slice about 300 micron thick, including the suprachiasmatic nucleus, was cut coronally using a vibratome. By means of bath- as well as iontophoretic application, c-AMP and c-GMP caused mainly an inhibition and facilitation in suprachiasmatic neuronal activity, respectively. The present results suggest that c-AMP and c-GMP play an important role in regulation of suprachiasmatic neuronal activity as a second messenger and that these two nucleotides may function as a reciprocal messenger.