Circumventricular Organs: Gateways to the Brain Membrane Properties Of Subfornical Organ Neurons

Authors: Washburn, David Ls; Ferguson, Alastair V

Source: Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, Volume 28, Number 7, July 2001 , pp. 575-580(6)

Publisher: Blackwell Publishing

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Abstract:

SUMMARY

1. The subfornical organ (SFO) is a forebrain circumventricular structure that plays an integral role in the regulation of fluid balance by acting as the interface between the circulation and the central nervous system. Thus, changes in the activity of SFO neurons can have significant effects on key regulatory loci involved in autonomic control, such as the hypothalamus and medulla.

2. Circulating messengers that affect SFO neurons do so through receptor-mediated regulation of the intrinsic ionic conductances expressed by SFO neurons. It is through the coordinated interaction of the complement of voltage-gated ion channels that SFO neurons are able to produce unique firing patterns and respond specifically to such a wide range of diverse extracellular messengers.

Keywords: angiotensin II; circumventricular organs; ion channels; membrane characteristics; subfornical organ

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1046/j.1440-1681.2001.03489.x

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