Changes in Excitability of Neurons in Rat Medial Vestibular Nucleus Following Vestibular Neurectomy

ABSTRACT

Intrinsic excitabilities of acutely isolated medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neurons of rats with normal labyrinth and with undergoing vestibular compensation from 30 min to 24 h after unilateral vestibular deafferentation (UVD) were compared. In control rats, proportions of type A and B cells were 30 and 70%, respectively, however, the proportion of type A cells increased following UVD. Bursting discharge and irregular firing patterns were recorded from 2 to 12 h post UVD. The spontaneous discharge rate of neurons in the ipsilesional MVN increased significantly at 2 h post-UVD and remained high until 12 h post-UVD in both type A and type B cells. After-hyperpolarization (AHP) of the MVN neurons decreased significantly from 2 h post-UVD in both types of cells. These results suggest that the early stage of vestibular compensation after peripheral neurectomy is associated with an increase in intrinsic excitability due to reduction of AHP in MVN neurons.