Distribution of vagal cardioinhibitory neurons in the medulla of the cat

Experiments were done in cats anesthetized with chloralose, paralyzed and artificially ventilated cats to obtain electrophysiological evidence on the medullary site of origin of vagal cardioinhibitory fibers. The regions of the nucleus ambiguus (AMB), dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV), nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), and external cuneate nucleus (ECN) were systematically explored for units responding both to antidromic stimulation of the cardiac branches of the vagus (CBV) and to orthodromic stimulation of the carotid sinus and aortic depressor nerves. Eighty-six single units conforming to these criteria were found in the medulla: 30 in the AMB, 26 in the DMV, 12 in the NTS, 8 in the NTS-DMV border region, and 10 in the ECN. Antidromically evoked spikes had durations of 0.5--2.5 ms and followed stimulation frequencies of 20--500 Hz. The axons of these units conducted at velocities of 3.3--20.8 m/s. The specificity of activation of medullary units by cardioinhibitory fibers was tested in 11 units, which were found to respond consistently with an antidromic spike to stimulation of CBV but not to stimulation of the thoracic vagus. In eight spinal animals low threshold (less than 15 microA) sites eliciting vagal bradycardia were found in the same medullary nuclei where cardioinhibitory units had been located. These results indicate that vagal cardioinhibitory axons, originate in at least three medullary nuclei, the AMB, DMV, and NTS. Unit activity from the ECN may have been recorded from carioinhibitory fibers because of the short duration of the spike potentials.