Synaptic gating of viscerosensory signals in the solitary tract nucleus

Abstract

Inhibitory input at the solitary tract nucleus (NTS) is thought to alter autonomic reflex performance. Somatostatin (SOM) neurons are a class of inhibitory interneuron within the central nervous system and present within the NTS. Here we aimed to quantify the impact inhibition had on vicerosensory signal throughput within the NTS. Using a SOM‐Channel rhodopsin 2‐YFP mouse model, we took whole cell recordings from NTS neurons in horizontal brain stem slices that contained both the NTS and solitary tract (ST). This model allowed the specific activation of the SOM inhibitory network within NTS via ChR2. First we targeted SOM‐ChR2‐YFP positive neurons to characterise LED pulse parameters and ass..