The discharge patterns and peripheral nerve inputs to cardiovascular neurons were investigated in rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) and raphe nucleus of cats. The data from the two were compared to determine their roles in cardiovascular regulation and the endogenous analgesic system. Animals were anesthetized with α-chloralose and single cell activities were recorded by carbon-filament microelectrode and their relationships with cardiovascular activity were analyzed. In RVLM area, a total of thirty-three cells were identified as cardiovascular neurons. During one cardiac cycle, the mean discharge rate of the neurons was 1.96±0.29 and the peak activity was observed 45 ms after the systolic peak of arterial blood pressure. Thirteen cells could be activated antidromically by stimulation of the the T2 intermediolateral nucleus. Forty-three raphe neurons were identified as cardiovascular neurons whose mean discharge rate during one cardiac cycle was 1.02±0.12. None of these cells could be activated antidromically. Study of the interval time histogram of RVLM neurons revealed that the time to the first peak was 128±20.0 ms, being shorter than the period of a cardiac cycle. The same parameter found from the raphe neurons was 481±67.2 ms, which was much longer than the cardiac cycle length. Of seventeen RVLM neurons examined ten received only the peripheral Aδ-afferent inputs, whereas six RVLM neurons received both Aδ- and C-inputs; the remaining one cell received an inhibitory peripheral C-input. In contrast, nine of eleven raphe neurons were found to receive Aδ-inputs only. We conclude that the main output of cardiovascular regulatory influences are mediated through the RVLM neurons. The cardiovascular neurons in the raphe nucleus appear to serve as interneurons transferring cardiovascular afferent information to the raphespinal neurons mediating the endogenous analgesic mechanisms.
