Modulation of neurons in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus by α 2 adrenoceptor agonists: evidence for physiological and morphological heterogeneity

The paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) receives dense noradrenergic input, but little is known about α 2 adrenoceptors (ARs) in this nucleus. We have investigated effects of the agonist α-methyl-norepinephrine (m-NE) on PVT neurons in vitro. Based on their physiological and morphological characteristics, three distinct classes of PVT neurons have been identified. The first class exhibits membrane hyperpolarization on stimulation with m-NE (0.05–25 µM). This hyperpolarizing effect is observed in the presence of tetrodotoxin (TTX; 0.5–1 µM), blocked by yohimbine (1 µM) and mimicked by clonidine (10 µM), which indicates that it is mediated by postsynaptic α 2 ARs. Further experiments indicate that it is mediated through an increase in G protein-coupled K + conductance. In a second class of neurons, m-NE (0.05–25 µM) induces a slow membrane depolarization that is mimicked by phenylephrine (5 µM) and blocked by prazosin (75 nM), which indicates the involvement of α 1 ARs. The third class of neurons is insensitive to m-NE (5–25 µM), and has a lower input resistance and a larger dendritic tree compared to the two other classes. The three types of neurons differ in their resting properties, and their firing patterns are changed by m-NE. These findings indicate anatomical and functional specialization of PVT neurons.