Stimulatory action of oxytocin on neurones of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve

Abstract

Extracellular recordings were obtained from spontaneously active neurones located in the dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve ( DMX ) in slices of the rat brainstem. Oxytocin applied to the bath at concentrations of 10(-7) M or 10(-6) M excited 79% of these cells in a concentration-dependent, reversible manner. The remaining cells were unaffected. The stimulatory effect of oxytocin was reversibly antagonized by a synthetic structural analogue known to block the peripheral, endocrine effects of neurohypophysial peptides. A selective oxytocic agonist was as potent as oxytocin, whereas vasopressin exerted a much weaker effect. We therefore suggest that neurones located in DMX are endowed with receptors for oxytocin.