| pubmed-article:9972774 | pubmed:abstractText | The nucleus raphe magnus (NRM) is an important descending inhibitory system for pain transmission. We tested whether clonidine, an alpha2-adrenergic agonist, and yohimbine, an alpha2-adrenergic antagonist, modulate the activity of NRM neurons using extracellular recording in a rat brainstem slice preparation. Clonidine 1-20 microM increased firing frequencies (FF) in 22 (37%) and decreased FF in 6 (10%) spontaneously active neurons. Correlation between the concentrations of clonidine and FF changes was unremarkable. Eight spontaneously active neurons (13%) showed increases followed by decreases in FF with increasing doses of clonidine. The remaining 24 neurons (40%) showed no change in FF. Yohimbine 1 microM decreased FF in 38 spontaneously active neurons (58%), whereas the remaining 27 neurons (42%) showed no change in FF. In some neurons, yohimbine antagonized the increase or decrease in FF by application of clonidine. In three silent neurons (25%), clonidine (5 or 10 microM) induced firing activity, which stopped or decreased with the increasing doses of clonidine. In the remaining nine neurons (75%), clonidine did not induce firing activity. We conclude that activation and inhibition of alpha2-adrenergic receptors of NRM neurons augments and suppresses output of the descending inhibitory pain pathway. Implications: The nucleus raphe magnus is implicated in descending control of the nociceptive processes. We found that clonidine and yohimbine increased and decreased, respectively, the firing activity of a substantial number of nucleus raphe magnus neurons. Clonidine and may facilitate and yohimbine may reduce the outflow of the descending inhibitory pathway. | lld:pubmed |
