Microelectrophoretic investigation of cholinoceptive amygdalar neurons

Abstract

Responses of spontaneously active amygdalar neurons to acetylcholine, atropine, and sodium L-glutamate, administered by microelectrophoresis, were investigated in acute experiments on unanesthetized cats. The most characteristic response to acetylcholine was an increase in firing rate (37.9% of cells). Activity of 8.6% of neurons was inhibited. Mainly cholinoceptive neurons responded to atropine. Responses of the same neuron to acetylcholine and atropine, applied consecutively through the microelectrode, were in every case of opposite sign. The latent periods of the responses to acetylcholine and atropine and the duration of the after-effect were longer than for responses to sodium L-glutamate.