Regulation of Autonomic Nervous System by the Hypothalamo-Cerebellar System

电刺激小脑顶核（FN）可引起多种行为和血压的变化，并可引起高血压伴心动过速。然而，这些机制仍然未知。本研究的目的是研究FN向下丘脑外侧区（Lateral Hypothalamic Area，LHA）和下丘脑室旁核（Paraventricnucleus，PVN）的神经输入。此外，还观察了VP对迷走神经背侧运动核（DMV）神经元的影响。LHA中的葡萄糖敏感神经元（被认为参与摄食行为的调节）和PVN中的神经分泌神经元可能通过单突触途径被Fn的刺激抑制。此外，在脑片标本中应用VP还能兴奋DMV神经元，这些神经元有来自LHA和PVN的神经投射，提示FN将神经信息直接传递到LHA和PVN，然后再传递到DMV的自主节前神经元。换句话说，小脑的信息可能参与下丘脑对内环境稳定的调节，包括对进食、饮水、神经分泌和自主神经系统的控制。

It has been reported that electrical stimulation of the cerebellar Fastigial Nucleus (FN) produces various consummatory behaviors and changes in blood Vasopressin (VP) level, as well as hypertension accompanied by tachycardia. However, the mechanisms of these are still unknown. The purpose of this project was to investigate the neural inputs from the FN to the Lateral Hypothalamic Area (LHA), the hypothalamic feeding center, and to the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) containing the neurosecretory cells. In addition, the effect of VP on the neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) was also examined.In anesthetized rats, main responses of neuron activity in the LHA and PVN were as follows. Both the glucose sensitive neurons in the LHA, which has been considered to be involved in the regulation of feeding behavior, and the neurosecretory neurons in the PVN were inhibited by the stimulation of the Fn probably through monosynaptic pathways. Furthermore the DMV neurons, which has been reported to have neural projections from the LHA and PVN, were excited by the application of VP in brain slice preparations.These findings suggest that the FN sends a direct neural input to the LHA and PVN, then the information may go down to the autonomic preganglionic neurons in the DMV. In other words, it is possible that the cerebellar information may be involved in the hypothalamic regulation of homeostasis, including control of feeding, drinking, neurosecretion and the autonomic nervous system.