Effects of cerebellar dentate nucleus GABAergic cells on rat inferior olivary neurons

The present study was undertaken to analyze the effects on unitary activity of inferior olive (IO) neurons elicited by activation of cerebellar latera l nucleus (LN), in rats submitted to the chronic destruction of MDJ structu res, i.e. in animals in which the LN-evoked effects in IO should be depende d only on activation of GABAergic cells of LN. It has been observed that ab out two-thirds of the olivocerebellar neurons are significantly affected by LN stimulation, and >68% of those cells were inhibited. Two-thirds of the inhibitory responses were compatible with a monosynaptic linkage, whereas t he remaining inhibitions were probably due to polisynaptic linkages. The ma jority of LN-induced inhibitions was abolished or greatly reduced following application of GABA antagonists. NeuroReport 12:3709-3713 (C) 2001 Lippinc ott Williams & Wilkins.