Evidence of rhythmic inhibitory synaptic influences in hindlimb motoneurons during fictive locomotion in the thalamic cat

Abstract

Intracellular recordings of various motoneurons of proximal hindlimb muscles were performed on thalamic paralyzed cats, during fictive locomotion that was either spontaneous or evoked by stimulation of the subthalamic region. In motoneurons innervating sartorius (medialis and lateralis), vasti (intermedius, medialis and lateralis) and anterior biceps-semimembranous, one depolarization occurred in each locomotor cycle, alternating with a phase of repolarization that was synchronous with the activation of the antagonistic muscle nerve. This latter phase could be decreased or reversed by intracellular injection of chloride ions or current, revealing the presence of inhibitory inputs onto motoneurons. The pattern of membrane potential variations was more complex in motoneurons of rectus femoris and posterior biceps-semitendinosus muscles, but phases of chloride dependent inhibition were nevertheless identified, mainly during the sartorius nerve activation in the case of rectus femoris, and during the vasti and anterior biceps-semimembranosus nerve activations in the case of posterior biceps-semitendinosus. These inhibitory influences were shown to be controlled by the level of activity in exteroceptive afferents. The characteristics of the excitatory and inhibitory inputs to the hindlimb motoneurons identified here are discussed in relation with the organization of the central pattern generator for locomotion.