FIRING PROPERTIES OF IDENTIFIED PARASYMPATHETIC CARDIAC NEURONS IN NUCLEUS AMBIGUUS

This study tests the hypothesis that identified parasympathetic cardia c neurons in the nucleus ambiguus possess pacemaker-like activity or, alternatively, that these neurons are inherently silent. To test this hypothesis and to examine the firing properties of these neurons, para sympathetic cardiac neurons were identified by the presence of a fluor escent tracer previously applied to their terminals surrounding the he art. Perforated patch-clamp electrophysiological techniques were used to study the spontaneous and depolarization-evoked firing patterns of these identified parasympathetic cardiac neurons in an in vitro brain stem slice. Parasympathetic cardiac neurons were silent. On injection of depolarizing current, however, these neurons fired with both little delay and spike frequency adaptation. Hyperpolarizing prepulses elici ted a significant delay before depolarization-evoked firing. The Ca2+- activated K+ channel blocker apamin, but not charybdotoxin, increased the depolarization-activated firing frequency of these neurons and inh ibited the afterhyperpolarization. In summary, parasympathetic cardiac neurons do not have pacemaker-like properties, but they do possess di scharge characteristics that would enable them to closely follow excit atory synaptic activation for prolonged periods.