John B. Furness

Agonists of dopamine D2 receptors (D2R), 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT, serotonin) receptors (5‐HTR) and ghrelin receptors (GHSR) activate neurons in the lumbosacral defecation centre, and act as ‘colokinetics’, leading to increased propulsive colonic motility, in vivo . In the present study, we investigated which neurons in the lumbosacral defecation centre express the receptors and whether dopamine, serotonin and ghrelin receptor agonists act on the same lumbosacral preganglionic neurons (PGNs). We used whole cell electrophysiology to record responses from neurons in the lumbosacral defecation centre, following colokinetic application, and investigated their expression profiles and the chemistries of their neural inputs. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation revealed Drd2 , Ghsr and Htr2C transcripts were colocalised in lumbosacral PGNs of mice, and immunohistochemistry showed that these neurons have closely associated tyrosine hydroxylase and 5‐HT boutons. Previous studies showed that they do not receive ghrelin inputs. Whole cell electrophysiology in adult mice spinal cord revealed that dopamine, serotonin, α‐methylserotonin and capromorelin each caused inward, excitatory currents in overlapping populations of lumbosacral PGNs. Furthermore, dopamine caused increased frequency of both IPSCs and EPSCs in a cohort of D2R neurons. Tetrodotoxin blocked the IPSCs and EPSCs, revealing a post‐synaptic excitatory action of dopamine. In lumbosacral PGNs of postnatal day 7–14 rats, only dopamine's postsynaptic effects were observed. Furthermore, inward, excitatory currents evoked by dopamine were reduced by the GHSR antagonist, YIL781. We conclude that lumbosacral PGNs are the site where the action of endogenous ligands of D2R and 5‐HT2R converge, and that GHSR act as a cis‐modulator of D2R expressed by the same neurons. image Key points Dopamine, 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT, serotonin) and ghrelin (GHSR) receptor agonists increase colorectal motility and have been postulated to act at receptors on parasympathetic preganglionic neurons (PGNs) in the lumbosacral spinal cord. We aimed to determine which neurons in the lumbosacral spinal cord express dopamine, serotonin and GHSR receptors, their neural inputs, and whether agonists at these receptors excite them. We show that dopamine, serotonin and ghrelin receptor transcripts are contained in the same PGNs and that these neurons have closely associated tyrosine hydroxylase and serotonin boutons. Whole cell electrophysiology revealed that dopamine, serotonin and GHSR receptor agonists induce an inward excitatory current in overlapping populations of lumbosacral PGNs. Dopamine‐induced excitation was reversed by GHSR antagonism. The present study demonstrates that lumbosacral PGNs are the site at which actions of endogenous ligands of dopamine D2 receptors and 5‐HT type 2 receptors converge. Ghrelin receptors are functional, but their role appears to be as modulators of dopamine effects at D2 receptors.