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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2018 Feb 15.
Published in final edited form as: Brain Res. 2016 Dec 30;1657:297–303. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.12.026

Figure 7. Diagram summarizing the effects of VPAC1 receptor activation in the nucleus ambiguus neurons.

Figure 7

VPAC1 agonists such as PACAP or VIP activate VPAC1 receptor and release Ca2+ from endoplasmic reticulum (ER) via inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP3R). VPAC1 agonists also produce membrane depolarization, facilitating activation of P/Q-type voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCC) and subsequent Ca2+ influx. The depolarization is transmitted along the axon and leads to the release of acetylcholine (ACh) in cardiac ganglia followed by bradycardia.