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Coherent rhythmic discharges in sympathetic nerves supplying thermoregulatory circulations in the rat

Julia E. Smith and Michael P. Gilbey

1. In anaesthetised rats, activity recorded from sympathetic postganglionic neurones innervating the tail circulation has characteristic rhythmicity (0·4-1·2 Hz). At the population level this rhythmicity can be seen as a peak (T-peak) in autospectra of sympathetic activity recorded from ventral collector nerves (VCNs).

2. Here we investigated whether nerves supplying thermoregulatory circulations share common rhythmic discharges at T-peak frequency. Activity was recorded from nerve pairs consisting of left ventral collector nerve (LVCN) and one of the following: right ventral collector nerve (RVCN), left dorsal collector nerve (DCN), left saphenous nerve (SN) or left renal nerve (RN).

3. During central apnoea, T-peak frequencies in RVCN autospectra were similar to those of simultaneously recorded LVCN and these activities were coherent. Similar observations were made for nerve pairs involving LVCN-DCN and LVCN-SN. In contrast, autospectra of RN activity did not contain T-peaks.

4. In comparison to the peaks in autospectra of RN activity, when the frequency of rhythmic phrenic nerve activity was manipulated T-peaks in VCN, DCN and SN autospectra did not show obligatory 1:1 locking.

5. We conclude that T-peaks are a robust feature of autospectra of sympathetic discharges supplying thermoregulatory circulation but not those influencing the kidney. The high coherence demonstrated between the T-peak discharges is consistent with the view that common/coupled oscillators located within the CNS influence cutaneous vasoconstrictor sympathetic activity.

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