The vagal reflex circuit is formed by sensory afferents from the periphery that form excitatory synapses on neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), which then project to preganglionic parasympathetic neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus. Mu-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists have pronounced effects on digestive and other autonomic functions by modulation of the circuitry in the NTS and DMV. Using whole-cell patch clamp recordings to investigate the synaptic and morphological properties of NTS neurons resulted in a categorization of different morphological groups. I propose to investigate this circuit and the effects of m-opioid receptors on it. The long term objective is to elucidate the effects of MOR agonists on interactions within the NTS-DMV circuit
