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Anwyl R. Metabotropic glutamate receptors: electrophysiological properties and role in plasticity. Rev Neurosci 2012; 3:217-31. [PMID: 21561267 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro.1992.3.3.217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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2
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Limitations of PET and lesion studies in defining the role of the human cerebellum in motor learning. Behav Brain Sci 2011. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Eyeblink conditioning, motor control, and the analysis of limbic-cerebellar interactions. Behav Brain Sci 2011. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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6
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Grasping cerebellar function depends on our understanding the principles of sensorimotor integration: The frame of reference hypothesis. Behav Brain Sci 2011. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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8
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Dysmetria of thought: Correlations and conundrums in the relationship between the cerebellum, learning, and cognitive processing. Behav Brain Sci 2011. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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9
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11
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Q: Is the cerebellum an adaptive combiner of motor and mental/motor activities? A: Yes, maybe, certainly not, who can say? Behav Brain Sci 2011. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00082017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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12
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What behavioral benefit does stiffness control have? An elaboration of Smith's proposal. Behav Brain Sci 2011. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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Abstract
One of the lessons learned from studying the nervous systems of phylogenetically distant species is that many features are conserved. Indeed, aminergic neurons in invertebrate and vertebrate systems share a multitude of common characteristics. In this review, the varied roles of serotonin, octopamine, dopamine, and histamine in decapod crustaceans are considered, and the distributions of the amine-containing cells are described. The anatomy of these systems reinforces the idea that amine neurons are involved in widespread modulation and coordination within the nervous system. Many aminergic neurons have long projections, linking multiple regions with a common input, and therefore are anatomically perfected as "gain setters." The developmental patterns of appearance of each amine in the crustacean nervous system are described and compared. The developmental picture suggests that transmitter acquisition is distinctive for each amine, and that the pace of acquisition may be co-regulated with target maturation. The distinctive roles that transmitters play during specific developmental periods may, ultimately, provide important clues to their functional contributions in the mature organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- B S Beltz
- Biological Sciences Department, Wellesley College, Massachusetts 02481, USA.
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16
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Yan XX, Garey LJ. NADPH-diaphorase reactivity is reduced in the molecular layer but increased in the granular layer of primate cerebellum after prolonged anaesthesia. Neurosci Lett 1997; 230:125-8. [PMID: 9259480 DOI: 10.1016/s0304-3940(97)00497-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
To test if nitric oxide (NO) is involved in modulation of neuronal activity after global changes of brain function, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) reactivity in the cerebellar cortex was compared in monkeys maintained under anaesthesia for 24-48 h with others only anaesthetised for perfusion. After prolonged anaesthesia, NADPH-d activity was reduced in the molecular layer, but increased in the granular layer, with the maintenance of a parasagittal patchy organisation of the highly reactive granule cells. Selective labelling of NADPH-d in the infraganglionic plexuses deep to a subset of Purkinje cell somata was lost in the anaesthetised animals. This differential alteration of NADPH-d reactivity suggests that NO may play a role in regulation of neuronal and synaptic activity during anaesthesia.
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Affiliation(s)
- X X Yan
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine 92717, USA
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17
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Yanagihara D, Kondo I. Nitric oxide plays a key role in adaptive control of locomotion in cat. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1996; 93:13292-7. [PMID: 8917584 PMCID: PMC24086 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.93.23.13292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Diverse roles in cellular functions have been ascribed to nitric oxide (NO), and its involvement in induction of long-term depression in cerebellar Purkinje cells has been demonstrated. Manipulations of NO concentration or its synthesis in cerebellar tissues therefore provide a means for investigating roles of NO in cerebellar functions at both cellular and behavioral levels. We tested adaptive control of locomotion to perturbation in cats, and found that this form of motor learning was abolished by application of either an inhibitor of NO synthase or a scavenger of NO to the cerebellar cortical locomotion area. This finding supports the view that NO in the cerebellum plays a key role in motor learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Yanagihara
- Division of Neuromuscular Skills, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, Osaka University, Japan
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18
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We know a lot about the cerebellum, but do we know what motor learning is? Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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19
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Sensorimotor learning in structures “upstream” from the cerebellum. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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20
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Cerebellar arm ataxia: Theories still have a lot to explain. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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21
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22
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Resilient cerebellar theory complies with stiff opposition. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00082005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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23
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The cerebellum and cerebral cortex: Contrasting and converging contributions to spatial navigation and memory. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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24
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Cerebellum does more than recalibration of movements after perturbations. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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25
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A cerebellar long-term depression update. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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26
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What has to be learned in motor learning? Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x0008153x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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27
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Further evidence for the involvement of nitric oxide in trans-ACPD-induced suppression of AMPA responses in cultured chick Purkinje neurons. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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28
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29
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More models of the cerebellum. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x0008198x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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30
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Cerebellar rhythms: Exploring another metaphor. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x0008184x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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31
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The notions of joint stiffness and synaptic plasticity in motor memory. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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32
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How and what does the cerebellum learn? Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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33
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Plasticity of cerebro-cerebellar interactions in patients with cerebellar dysfunction. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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34
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How to link the specificity of cerebellar anatomy to motor learning? Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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35
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Long-term changes of synaptic transmission: A topic of long-term interest. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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36
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Nitric oxide is involved in cerebellar long-term depression. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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37
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No more news from the cerebellum. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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38
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A bridge between cerebellar long-term depression and discrete motor learning: Studies on gene knockout mice. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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39
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Cellular mechanisms of long-term depression: From consensus to open questions. Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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40
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How can the cerebellum match “error signal” and “error correction”? Behav Brain Sci 1996. [DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x00081590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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41
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Maura G, Guadagnin A, Raiteri M. Low nanomolar serotonin inhibits the glutamate receptor/nitric oxide/cyclic GMP pathway in slices from adult rat cerebellum. Neuroscience 1995; 68:455-63. [PMID: 7477956 DOI: 10.1016/0306-4522(95)00160-k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
The function of serotonin afferents to the cerebellum has been investigated by monitoring the effects of serotoninergic drugs on the production of cyclic GMP elicited in cerebellar slices by activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors. Exposure of adult rat cerebellar slices to N-methyl-D-aspartate (1 nM to 1 microM) or to (RS)-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionate (AMPA; 1 nM to 10 microM) elicited concentration-dependent and saturable rises in the levels of cyclic GMP. These responses were blocked by selective antagonists at the N-methyl-D-aspartate or AMPA receptors and by inhibiting nitric oxide synthase, but were insensitive to tetrodotoxin. When tested between 0.1 and 10 nM, serotonin, the serotonin1A receptor agonist (+/-)-8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetralin and the serotonin2 receptor agonist (+/-)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane inhibited, concentration-dependently, the cyclic GMP responses evoked by near-maximal (0.1 microM) concentrations of N-methyl-D-aspartate or AMPA. The EC50 values (concentrations causing half-maximal effect) ranged between 0.7 and 2.1 nM. The actions of serotonin were totally abolished by methiothepin, a mixed-type serotonin receptor antagonist. Thus, the serotonergic cerebellar afferents may exert a potent inhibitory control on the excitatory transmission mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate and AMPA receptors; the inhibition occurs through both serotonin1A and serotonin2 receptors. As the glutamate receptor-dependent cyclic GMP responses involve production of nitric oxide, a diffusible activator of guanylate cyclase, the above inhibitory serotonin receptors may have multiple localization.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Affiliation(s)
- G Maura
- Istituto di Farmacologia e Farmacognosia, Genova, Italy
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42
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Abstract
The characteristics of the high-affinity uptake of [3H]-L-arginine into cerebellar and cortical synaptosomes were investigated. Uptake into cerebellar synaptosomes was often greater than seen in cortical synaptosomes under similar experimental conditions, and this was reflected by a higher Vmax in synaptosomes from this brain region. Uptake into synaptosomes prepared from both brain regions was markedly enhanced by removing extracellular Na+, adn inhibited by high concentrations of extracellular K+. Depolarisation with 4-aminopyridine or veratridine has no effect on uptake. Uptake was also unaffected by hyperpolarisation. The profile of inhibition of arginine uptake by related amino acids was similar to that seen for the y+ carrier, but the other characteristic alluded to above suggest that the carrier is distinct from the classical y+ system. The possible relationship between the carrier and the metabolism of arginine through the nitric oxide [NO] pathway, and the role of NO in the central nervous system is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- K J Collard
- Department of Physiology, University of Wales, College of Cardiff, UK
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43
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Yan XX, Jen LS, Garey LJ. Spatial periodicity of NADPH-diaphorase and synaptophysin, but not SNAP-25, reactivity in the monkey cerebellar cortex. Brain Res 1995; 669:285-90. [PMID: 7712184 DOI: 10.1016/0006-8993(94)01274-l] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
We recently described a parasagittal patchy organisation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity in the granular layer of the rat cerebellum. We now report the pattern of NADPH-d distribution in the primate cerebellum and its relationship to two synaptic proteins, synaptophysin and synaptosomal associated protein 25 kDa (SNAP-25), using histochemistry and immunocytochemistry. NADPH-d reactivity was localised in the molecular and granular layers (ML, GL) and a subset of infraganglionic plexuses (IGPs), but not in the Purkinje cell layer and the white matter. In ML, the histochemical reactivity was dense and relatively homogeneous in the neuropil, and moderate in the stellate cells. A patchy organisation of NADPH-d in GL was detected in both horizontal and parasagittal sections. In the IGPs staining for NADPH-d revealed modular positive zones alternating with negative ones. The positive and negative IGP zones were usually congruent with the high and low NADPH-d reactivity in GL, respectively. Both synaptic proteins were strongly expressed in the neuropil in ML and GL, and their patterns were relatively homogeneous. However, synaptophysin was present in a subpopulation of IGPs organised in modules which corresponded to those expressing NADPH-d. Our results indicate that the NADPH-d modular system is more complicated in the primate cerebellum than in the rat. In addition, we have provided suggestive evidence of a co-expression of NADPH-d and synaptophysin in selected IGP modules in primate cerebellum, which suggests that nitric oxide may be involved in the activity of the Purkinje cells by affecting the basket cell synaptic input.
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Affiliation(s)
- X X Yan
- Department of Anatomy, Hunan Medical University, Changsha, People's Republic of China
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44
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Alagarsamy S, Lonart G, Johnson KM. Regulation of nitric oxide synthase activity in cortical slices by excitatory amino acids and calcium. J Neurosci Res 1994; 38:648-53. [PMID: 7528815 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.490380607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity was determined in adult rat frontal cortex and hippocampus by measuring the conversion of L-[3H]arginine to L-[3H]citrulline. N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), but not kainate or alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate (AMPA), stimulated NOS activity. This effect was concentration dependent (EC50 approximately 30 microM) and was inhibited by tetrodotoxin, EGTA, N omega-nitro-L-arginine (NOARG), Mg2+, phencyclidine, and (cis)-4-phosphonomethyl-2-piperidine carboxylate (CGS 19755), but not by 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (CNQX). NOS activity was increased to an even greater extent by the calcium ionophores ionomycin and A23187 and by depolarization with 50 mM K+. Interestingly, neither caffeine nor 1-aminocyclopentane-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (1S,3R-ACPD), drugs that would be expected to increase intracellular Ca2+ concentration by release of Ca2+ from intracellular ryanodine- and inositol-1,4,5-trisphosphate-sensitive stores, respectively, had any significant effect on NOS activity. It is concluded that NOS can be activated by NMDA binding to a classic NMDA glutamate receptor subtype as well as by depolarization or other agents that increase the influx of extracellular Ca2+. The paradoxical lack of effect of caffeine, as well as the inhibitory effect of tetrodotoxin, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Alagarsamy
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77555-1031
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45
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Grandes P, Ortega F, Streit P. Glutamate-immunoreactive climbing fibres in the cerebellar cortex of the rat. HISTOCHEMISTRY 1994; 101:427-37. [PMID: 7960942 DOI: 10.1007/bf00269493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The climbing fibre system, one of the two main excitatory inputs to the cerebellar cortex, is anatomically and physiologically well characterized, while the nature of its neurotransmitter is still a matter of debate. We wished to determine whether glutamate-immunoreactive profiles with the morphological characteristics of climbing fibres could be found in the rat cerebellar cortex. For this purpose, a monoclonal 'anti-glutamate' antibody has been used in combination with a sensitive postembedding immunoperoxidase method on semi-thin sections or in combination with a postembedding immunogold method on ultrathin sections. At the light microscopic level, climbing fibres appeared as strongly stained fibrous profiles, chains of interconnected varicosities or heavily labelled dots of various sizes, often in close apposition to principal Purkinje cell dendrites. At the electron microscopic level, certain labelled varicosities or more elongated profiles resembling climbing fibre terminals were in synaptic contact with dendritic spines of Purkinje cells. Quantitative analysis of gold particle densities showed that such elements were about three to four times more heavily labelled than their postsynaptic partners. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that at least a subset of climbing fibres and their terminals contain relatively high levels of glutamate-like immunoreactivity and provide additional evidence for a role of glutamate as transmitter in these cerebellar afferents.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Grandes
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Basque Country University, Bilbao, Spain
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Egberongbe YI, Gentleman SM, Falkai P, Bogerts B, Polak JM, Roberts GW. The distribution of nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity in the human brain. Neuroscience 1994; 59:561-78. [PMID: 7516503 DOI: 10.1016/0306-4522(94)90177-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Nitric oxide is a free radical which is produced in the brain and is thought to be the first of a new class of neural messenger molecules. It is postulated to act by inducing an increase in cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels in target cells. The neuronal isoform of nitric oxide synthase, the enzyme responsible for the calcium-dependent synthesis of nitric oxide from L-arginine, has been purified from brain homogenate. Using a specific polyclonal antibody, we have localized brain nitric oxide synthase to the cytosol of discrete neuronal subpopulations and glial elements. These include non-pyramidal cells in the cerebral cortex, pyramidal and non-pyramidal cells of the hippocampus, aspiny neurons of the corpus striatum, basket, Purkinje and granule cells in the cerebellum and neurons of various brain stem nuclei. The localization of nitric oxide-producing neurons in morphologically different and neurochemically diverse cell types suggests a widespread neuromodulatory role for nitric oxide in the central nervous system of man.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y I Egberongbe
- Department of Psychiatry and Anatomy, Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, London, U.K
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Affiliation(s)
- S R Vincent
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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48
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Abstract
Motility of the gastrointestinal tract is directly controlled by enteric inhibitory and excitatory motor neurons that innervate the layers of smooth muscle. Inhibitory motor neurons mediate receptive and accommodative relaxations and control the opening of sphincters, thus playing an important role in normal gut motility. Recent studies have demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) is an important neurotransmitter released by inhibitory motor neurons in animal and human gut. Antagonists of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), the synthetic enzyme for NO, reduce the effectiveness of transmission from inhibitory motor neurons. Exogenous NO mimics inhibitory nerve activation, and a variety of compounds that affect the availability of endogenously produced NO modulate relaxations of gastrointestinal smooth muscle. It is clear, however, that NO is unlikely to be the only transmitter released by enteric inhibitory motor neurons: several other substances such as vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), or related peptides, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) are also likely to contribute to nerve-mediated inhibition. The identification of NO as a major inhibitory neurotransmitter to gastrointestinal smooth muscle fills an important gap in our understanding of the physiological control of motility and opens up a wide range of new experimental possibilities. It may eventually lead to the development of new drugs for motility disorders. It should be noted, however, that NO is important in the brain, in cardiovascular control, in blood cell function and in many other organ systems, suggesting that it may be difficult to achieve specific pharmacological intervention targeted on inhibitory neurotransmission in the gut, without undesirable side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Brookes
- Department of Human Physiology, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide
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49
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Abstract
Nitric oxide is a novel signalling molecule in the brain and a potent activator of the cyclic GMP-synthesising enzyme, soluble guanylate cyclase. To determine if stimulation of cyclic GMP formation is a widespread mechanism of nitric oxide signal transduction, we have compared the distribution of the nitric oxide-generating enzyme (nitric oxide synthase) with that of nitric oxide-stimulated cyclic GMP accumulation, throughout the rat brain. The former was done using NADPH diaphorase histochemistry and the latter by cyclic GMP immunohistochemistry following perfusion of the nitric oxide donor, nitroprusside, in vivo. At a gross level, there was generally a good match when the two were compared in adjacent sections. Although the relative staining intensity varied from area to area, in no grey matter region did we observe cyclic GMP accumulation in the absence of nitric oxide synthase staining. In detail, the locations were complementary rather than identical. In some areas, nitric oxide synthase was found in postsynaptic structures and cyclic GMP accumulation in presynaptic elements and fibres; in others, the locations were reversed. Glial cells and their processes also accumulated cyclic GMP in the cerebellum. The results suggest that soluble guanylate cyclase is a major nitric oxide "receptor" throughout the brain. They also support the hypothesis that nitric oxide generated therein primarily functions as a mediator of cell-cell signaling rather than as a conventional second messenger acting within the cells in which it is produced. The types of communication subserved by nitric oxide appear to be extraordinarily diverse.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Southam
- Department of Physiology, University of Liverpool, U.K
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50
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