Heterogeneous projections of the cat posteroventral cochlear nucleus

The role of the Ventral Nucleus of the Trapezoid Body in the auditory prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle reflex

Cholinergic signaling is essential to mediate the auditory prepulse inhibition (PPI), an operational measure of sensorimotor gating, that refers to the reduction of the acoustic startle reflex (ASR) when a low-intensity, non-startling acoustic stimulus (the prepulse) is presented just before the onset of the acoustic startle stimulus. The cochlear root neurons (CRNs) are the first cells of the ASR circuit to receive cholinergic inputs from non-olivocochlear neurons of the ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body (VNTB) and subsequently decrease their neuronal activity in response to auditory prepulses. Yet, the contribution of the VNTB-CRNs pathway to the mediation of PPI has not been fully elucidated. In this study, we used the immunotoxin anti-choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-saporin as well as electrolytic lesions of the medial olivocochlear bundle to selectively eliminate cholinergic VNTB neurons, and then assessed the ASR and PPI paradigms. Retrograde track-tracing experiments were conducted to precisely determine the site of lesioning VNTB neurons projecting to the CRNs. Additionally, the effects of VNTB lesions and the integrity of the auditory pathway were evaluated via auditory brain responses tests, ChAT- and FOS-immunohistochemistry. Consequently, we established three experimental groups: 1) intact control rats (non-lesioned), 2) rats with bilateral lesions of the olivocochlear bundle (OCB-lesioned), and 3) rats with bilateral immunolesions affecting both the olivocochlear bundle and the VNTB (OCB/VNTB-lesioned). All experimental groups underwent ASR and PPI tests at several interstimulus intervals before the lesion and 7, 14, and 21 days after it. Our results show that the ASR amplitude remained unaffected both before and after the lesion across all experimental groups, suggesting that the VNTB does not contribute to the ASR. The%PPI increased across the time points of evaluation in the control and OCB-lesioned groups but not in the OCB/VNTB-lesioned group. At the ISI of 50 ms, the OCB-lesioned group exhibited a significant increase in%PPI (p < 0.01), which did not occur in the OCB/VNTB-lesioned group. Therefore, the ablation of cholinergic non-olivocochlear neurons in the OCB/VNTB-lesioned group suggests that these neurons contribute to the mediation of auditory PPI at the 50 ms ISI through their cholinergic projections to CRNs. Our study strongly reinforces the notion that auditory PPI encompasses a complex mechanism of top-down cholinergic modulation, effectively attenuating the ASR across different interstimulus intervals within multiple pathways.

The Untouchable Ventral Nucleus of the Trapezoid Body: Preservation of a Nucleus in an Animal Model of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by repetitive behaviors, poor social skills, and difficulties with communication and hearing. The hearing deficits in ASD range from deafness to extreme sensitivity to routine environmental sounds. Previous research from our lab has shown drastic hypoplasia in the superior olivary complex (SOC) in both human cases of ASD and in an animal model of autism. However, in our study of the human SOC, we failed to find any changes in the total number of neurons in the ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body (VNTB) or any changes in cell body size or shape. Similarly, in animals prenatally exposed to the antiepileptic valproic acid (VPA), we failed to find any changes in the total number, size or shape of VNTB neurons. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that the neurotransmitter profiles, ascending and descending axonal projections of the VNTB are also preserved in these neurodevelopmental conditions. We investigated this hypothesis using a combination of immunohistochemistry and retrograde tract tracing. We found no difference between control and VPA-exposed animals in the number of VNTB neurons immunoreactive for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Additionally, we investigated the ascending projections from the VNTB to both the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CNIC) and medial geniculate (MG) and descending projections to the cochlea. Our results indicate no significant differences in the ascending and descending projections from the VNTB between control and VPA-exposed animals despite drastic changes in these projections from surrounding nuclei. These findings provide evidence that certain neuronal populations and circuits may be protected against the effects of neurodevelopmental disorders.

Distinct forms of synaptic plasticity during ascending vs descending control of medial olivocochlear efferent neurons

Activity in each brain region is shaped by the convergence of ascending and descending axonal pathways, and the balance and characteristics of these determine the neural output. The medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent system is part of a reflex arc that critically controls auditory sensitivity. Multiple central pathways contact MOC neurons, raising the question of how a reflex arc could be engaged by diverse inputs. We examined functional properties of synapses onto brainstem MOC neurons from ascending (ventral cochlear nucleus, VCN) and descending (inferior colliculus, IC) sources in mice using an optogenetic approach. We found that these pathways exhibited opposing forms of short-term plasticity, with the VCN input showing depression and the IC input showing marked facilitation. By using a conductance-clamp approach, we found that combinations of facilitating and depressing inputs enabled firing of MOC neurons over a surprisingly wide dynamic range, suggesting an essential role for descending signaling to a brainstem nucleus.

Glycinergic inhibition to the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body shows prominent facilitation and can sustain high levels of ongoing activity

Neurons in the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body (MNTB) are well known for their prominent excitatory inputs, mediated by the calyx of Held. Less attention has been paid to the prominent inhibitory inputs that MNTB neurons also receive. Because of their auditory nature, both excitatory and inhibitory synapses are highly active in vivo. These high levels of activity are known to reduce excitatory synaptic currents considerably, such that in vivo synaptic currents produced by the calyx are smaller than typically measured in standard brain slice experiments. The goal of this study was to investigate the properties of the inhibitory inputs in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) under activity levels that correspond to those in the intact brain to facilitate a direct comparison between the two inputs. Our results suggest that inhibitory inputs to MNTB are largely mediated by a fast and phasic glycinergic component, and to a lesser degree by a GABAergic component. The glycinergic component can sustain prolonged high levels of activity. Even when challenged with stimulus patterns consisting of thousands of stimuli over tens of minutes, glycinergic inputs to MNTB maintain large conductances and fast decays and even facilitate substantially when the stimulation frequency is increased. The inhibition is mediated by a relatively small number of independent input fibers. The data presented here suggest that inhibitory inputs to MNTB sustain high levels of activity and need to be considered for a full understanding of mechanisms underlying processing of auditory information in MNTB.

Discharge patterns in the lateral superior olive of decerebrate cats

Anatomical and pharmacological studies have shown that the lateral superior olive (LSO) receives inputs from a number of sources and that LSO cells can alter the balance of their own excitatory and inhibitory drive. It is thus likely that the ongoing sound-evoked responses of LSO cells reflect a complex interplay of excitatory and inhibitory events, which may be affected by anesthesia. The goal of this study was to characterize the temporal discharge patterns of single units in the LSO of unanesthetized, decerebrate cats in response to long-duration ipsilateral best-frequency tone bursts. A decision tree is presented to partition LSO units on the basis of poststimulus time histogram shape, adaptation of instantaneous firing rate as a function of time, and sustained discharge rate. The results suggest that LSO discharge patterns form a continuum with four archetypes: sustained choppers that show two or more peaks of activity at stimulus onset and little adaptation of rate throughout the response, transient choppers that undergo a decrease in rate that eventually stabilizes with time, primary-like units that display an initial peak of activity followed by a monotonic decline in rate to a steady-state value, and onset-sustained units that exhibit an initial peak of activity at stimulus onset followed by a low sustained activity. Compared with the chopper units, the nonchopper units tend to show longer first-spike latencies, lower peak firing rates, and more irregular sustained discharge patterns. Modeling studies show that the full range of LSO response types can be obtained from an underlying sustained chopper by varying the strength and latency of a sound-driven ipsilateral inhibition relative to that of excitation. Together, these results suggest that inhibition plays a major role in shaping the temporal discharge patterns of units in unanesthetized preparations.

The multiple functions of T stellate/multipolar/chopper cells in the ventral cochlear nucleus

Acoustic information is brought to the brain by auditory nerve fibers, all of which terminate in the cochlear nuclei, and is passed up the auditory pathway through the principal cells of the cochlear nuclei. A population of neurons variously known as T stellate, type I multipolar, planar multipolar, or chopper cells forms one of the major ascending auditory pathways through the brainstem. T Stellate cells are sharply tuned; as a population they encode the spectrum of sounds. In these neurons, phasic excitation from the auditory nerve is made more tonic by feedforward excitation, coactivation of inhibitory with excitatory inputs, relatively large excitatory currents through NMDA receptors, and relatively little synaptic depression. The mechanisms that make firing tonic also obscure the fine structure of sounds that is represented in the excitatory inputs from the auditory nerve and account for the characteristic chopping response patterns with which T stellate cells respond to tones. In contrast with other principal cells of the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN), T stellate cells lack a low-voltage-activated potassium conductance and are therefore sensitive to small, steady, neuromodulating currents. The presence of cholinergic, serotonergic and noradrenergic receptors allows the excitability of these cells to be modulated by medial olivocochlear efferent neurons and by neuronal circuits associated with arousal. T Stellate cells deliver acoustic information to the ipsilateral dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN), ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body (VNTB), periolivary regions around the lateral superior olivary nucleus (LSO), and to the contralateral ventral lemniscal nuclei (VNLL) and inferior colliculus (IC). It is likely that T stellate cells participate in feedback loops through both medial and lateral olivocochlear efferent neurons and they may be a source of ipsilateral excitation of the LSO.

Inferior colliculus responses to multichannel microstimulation of the ventral cochlear nucleus: implications for auditory brain stem implants

Multichannel techniques were used to assess the frequency specificity of activation in the central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CIC) produced by electrical stimulation of localized regions within the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN). Data were recorded in response to pure tones from 141 and 193 multiunit clusters in the rat VCN and the CIC, respectively. Of 141 VCN sites, 126 were individually stimulated while recording responses in the CIC. A variety of CIC response types were seen with an increase in both electrical and acoustic stimulation levels. The majority of sites exhibited monotonic rate-level types acoustically, whereas spike rate saturation was achieved predominantly with electrical stimulation. In 20.6% of the 364 characteristic frequency aligned VCN-CIC pairs, the CIC sites did not respond to stimulation. In 26% of the 193 CIC sites, a high correlation was observed between acoustic tuning and electrical tuning obtained through VCN stimulation. A high degree of frequency specificity was found in 58% of the 118 lowest threshold VCN-CIC pairs. This was dependent on electrode placement within the VCN because a higher degree of frequency specificity was achieved with stimulation of medial, central, and posterolateral VCN regions than more anterolateral regions. Broadness of acoustic tuning in the CIC played a role in frequency-specific activation. Narrowly tuned CIC sites showed the lowest degree of frequency specificity on stimulation of the anterolateral VCN regions. These data provide significant implications for auditory brain stem implant electrode placement, current localization, power requirements, and facilitation of information transfer to higher brain centers.

Focal projections of cat auditory cortex to the pontine nuclei

The pontine nuclei (PN) receive projections from the auditory cortex (AC) and they are a major source of mossy fibers to the cerebellum. However, they have not been studied in detail using sensitive neuroanatomical tracers, and whether all AC areas contribute to the corticopontine (CP) system is unknown. We characterized the projection patterns of 11 AC areas with WGA-HRP. We also compared them with their corticothalamic and corticocollicular counterparts. A third objective was to analyze the structure of the CP axons and their terminals with BDA. Both tracers confirm that all AC areas projected to lateral, central, and medial ipsilateral pontine divisions. The strongest CP projections were from nontonotopic and polymodal association areas. Preterminal fibers formed single terminal fields having many boutons en passant as well as terminal endings, and there was a specific morphological pattern for each pontine target, irrespective of their areal origin. Thus, axons in the medial division had a simpler terminal architecture (type 1 terminal plexus); both the central and lateral pons received more complex endings (type 2 terminal plexus). Auditory CP topographical distribution resembled visual and somatosensory CP projections, which preserve retinotopy and somatotopy in the pons, respectively. However, the absence of pontine tonotopy suggests that the AC projection topography is unrelated to tonotopy. CP input to the medial and central pons coincides with the somatosensory and visual cortical inputs, respectively, and such overlap might subserve convergence in the cerebellum. In contrast, lateral pontine input may be exclusively auditory.

Inferior colliculus projections to pontine nuclei in guinea pig

The present study examined the neural projection from the inferior colliculus to the pontine nuclei in guinea pig. This projection has been reported in other animals, and our goal was to establish the projection in guinea pig, a commonly used auditory model. Ultimately, we wanted to determine if the pontine nuclei could be a component of the descending auditory system from the inferior colliculus to the cochlear nucleus. The anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) was injected into one inferior colliculus of 10 animals and the pontine nuclei examined under a light microscope to detect PHA-L-labeled fibers. PHA-L-labeled fibers were observed in the ipsilateral pontine nuclei in 70% of the animals. While the majority of labeled fibers were smooth in appearance, a few fibers with en passant type varicosities (indicating synapses) were observed in the dorsolateral area of the pontine nuclei, adjacent to the lateral lemniscus. These findings do not support a robust projection from the inferior colliculus to the pontine nuclei in guinea pig. This is in opposition to findings in bat in which the projection may play a major role in modulating responses to sound.

Convergence of spinal trigeminal and cochlear nucleus projections in the inferior colliculus of the guinea pig

In addition to ascending auditory inputs, the external cortex of the inferior colliculus (ICX) receives prominent somatosensory inputs. To elucidate the extent of interaction between auditory and somatosensory representations at the level of IC, we explored the dual projections from the cochlear nucleus (CN) and the spinal trigeminal nucleus (Sp5) to the inferior colliculus (IC) in the guinea pig, using both retrograde and anterograde tracing techniques. Injections of retrograde tracers into ICX resulted in cell-labeling primarily in the contralateral DCN and pars interpolaris and caudalis of Sp5. Labeled cells in DCN were either fusiform or multipolar cells, whereas those in Sp5 varied in size and shape. Injections of anterograde tracers into either CN or Sp5 resulted in terminal labeling in ICX primarily on the contralateral side. Most projection fibers from Sp5 terminated in a laminar pattern from ventromedial to dorsolateral within the ventrolateral ICX, the ventral border of IC, and the ventromedial edge of IC (collectively termed "the ventrolateral border region of IC," ICXV). Less dense anterograde labeling was observed in lateral and rostral ICX. Injecting different tracers into both Sp5 and CN confirmed the overlapping areas of convergent projections from Sp5 and CN in IC: The most intense dual labeling was seen in the ICXV, and less intense dual labeling was also observed in the rostral part of ICX. This convergence of projection fibers from CN and Sp5 provides an anatomical substrate for multimodal integration in the IC.

Responses of neurons in the rat's ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus to monaural and binaural tone bursts

Responses to monaural and binaural tone bursts were recorded from neurons in the rat's ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (VNLL). Most of the neurons (55%) had V- or U-shaped frequency-tuning curves with a single clearly defined characteristic frequency (CF). However, many neurons had more complex, multipeaked tuning curves (37%), or other patterns (8%). Temporal firing patterns included both onset and sustained responses to contralateral tone bursts. Onset and sustained responses were distributed along the dorsoventral length of VNLL with no indication of segregation into different regions. Onset neurons had shorter average first-spike latencies than neurons with sustained responses (means, 8.3 vs. 14.8 ms). They also had less jitter, as reflected in the SD of first-spike latencies, than neurons with sustained responses (means, 0.59 and 4.2 ms, respectively). The extent of jitter decreased with an increase in stimulus intensity for neurons with sustained responses, but remained unchanged for onset neurons tested over the same range. Many neurons had binaural responses, primarily of the excitatory/inhibitory (EI) type, widely distributed along the dorsoventral extent of VNLL. Local application of the AMPA receptor antagonist NBQX reduced excitatory responses, indicating that responses were dependent on synaptic activity and not recorded from passing fibers. The results show that many neurons in VNLL have a precision of timing that is well suited for processing auditory temporal information. In the rat, these neurons are intermingled among cells with less precise temporal response features and include cells with binaural as well as monaural responses.

Axonal pathways to the lateral superior olive labeled with biotinylated dextran amine injections in the dorsal cochlear nucleus of rats

The lateral superior olive (LSO) contains cells that are sensitive to intensity differences between the two ears, a feature used by the brain to localize sounds in space. This report describes a source of input to the LSO that complements bushy cell projections from the ventral cochlear nucleus (VCN). Injections of biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) of the rat label axons and swellings in several brainstem structures, including the ipsilateral LSO. Labeling in the ipsilateral LSO was confined to a thin band that extended throughout the length of the structure such that it resembled an LSO isofrequency lamina. The source of this labeled pathway was not obvious, because DCN neurons do not project to the LSO, and VCN bushy cells were not filled by these injections. Filled neurons in several brainstem structures emerged as possible sources. Three observations suggest that most of the axonal labeling in the LSO derives from a single source. First, the number of labeled VCN planar multipolar cells and the amount of labeling in the LSO were consistent and robust across animals. In contrast, the number of labeled cells in most other structures was small and highly variable. Second, the locations of planar cells and filled axons in the LSO were related topographically to the position of the DCN injection site. Third, labeled terminal arborizations in the LSO arose from collaterals of axons in the trapezoid body (output tract of planar cells). We infer that planar multipolar cells, in addition to bushy cells, are a source of ascending input from the cochlear nucleus to the LSO.

Parallel auditory pathways: projection patterns of the different neuronal populations in the dorsal and ventral cochlear nuclei

The cochlear nuclear complex gives rise to widespread projections to nuclei throughout the brainstem. The projections arise from separate, well-defined populations of cells. None of the cell populations in the cochlear nucleus projects to all brainstem targets, and none of the targets receives inputs from all cell types. The projections of nine distinguishable cell types in the cochlear nucleus-seven in the ventral cochlear nucleus and two in the dorsal cochlear nucleus-are described in this review. Globular bushy cells and two types of spherical bushy cells project to nuclei in the superior olivary complex that play roles in sound localization based on binaural cues. Octopus cells convey precisely timed information to nuclei in the superior olivary complex and lateral lemniscus that, in turn, send inhibitory input to the inferior colliculus. Cochlear root neurons send widespread projections to areas of the reticular formation involved in startle reflexes and autonomic functions. Type I multipolar cells may encode complex features of natural stimuli and send excitatory projections directly to the inferior colliculus. Type II multipolar cells send inhibitory projections to the contralateral cochlear nuclei. Fusiform cells in the dorsal cochlear nucleus appear to be important for the localization of sounds based on spectral cues and send direct excitatory projections to the inferior colliculus. Giant cells in the dorsal cochlear nucleus also project directly to the inferior colliculus; some of them may convey inhibitory inputs to the contralateral cochlear nucleus as well.

Pontine sources of norepinephrine in the cat cochlear nucleus

In the current study, the distribution of noradrenergic neurons in the pontine tegmentum that project to the cochlear nucleus was determined with retrograde tract tracing combined with neurotransmitter immunohistochemistry in the cat. Double-labeled neurons were observed in all noradrenergic cell groups, in both the dorsolateral and the ventrolateral tegmentum. Half of the double-labeled cells were located in the locus coeruleus complex. Most of these were situated in its ventral division. Most other double-labeled cells were located in peribrachial regions, especially lateral to the brachium conjunctivum. Relatively few double-labeled cells were observed in both the A4 and the A5 cell groups, 2% and 0.4%, respectively, of the total. Except for neurons in A5, which projected only contralaterally, the projections were bilateral, with an ipsilateral preponderance. The results indicate that neurons located in the ipsilateral dorsolateral tegmentum, namely, in the locus coeruleus complex and the peribrachial region, are the primary source of pontine noradrenergic afferents to the cochlear nucleus of the cat.

Characterization of the human superior olivary complex by calcium binding proteins and neurofilament H (SMI-32)

This study provides a morphologic characterization of the human superior olivary complex as revealed by immunohistochemistry by using antibodies against the calcium binding proteins parvalbumin, calbindin, calretinin, and the nonphosphorylated neurofilament H SMI-32. By combining these markers, it was possible to establish the neuronal architecture and details of the morphologic organization (including axonal terminals) of the different nuclei. The medial superior olivary nucleus is formed by a sheet of parallel-oriented cells. A clear segregation of axon terminals was noticed on the medially and laterally oriented dendrites of the mostly bipolar neurons. The lateral superior olivary nucleus lacked a distinct nuclear shape but was formed by several patches of rather irregularly arranged neurons. Calretinin or parvalbumin immunoreactive afferent terminals were observed which contacted somata or dendrites of these neurons. The immunolabeling also revealed the boundaries of the dorsal periolivary nucleus and morphologic detail of its neurons. A coherent nuclear structure that could be addressed as the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body was not identified by any single one or by combinations of the markers used. The data were also used to establish a three-dimensional-reconstruction of the three major subnuclei of the superior olivary complex. The results are discussed with respect to the possible role of the superior olivary complex in the processing of spatial acoustic information in the azimuthal plane.

Serotonin projection patterns to the cochlear nucleus

The cochlear nucleus is well known as an obligatory relay center for primary auditory nerve fibers. Perhaps not so well known is the neural input to the cochlear nucleus from cells containing serotonin that reside near the midline in the midbrain raphe region. Although the specific locations of the main, if not sole, sources of serotonin within the dorsal cochlear nucleus subdivision are known to be the dorsal and median raphe nuclei, sources of serotonin located within other cochlear nucleus subdivisions are not currently known. Anterograde tract tracing was used to label fibers originating from the dorsal and median raphe nuclei while fluorescence immunohistochemistry was used to simultaneously label specific serotonin fibers in cat. Biotinylated dextran amine was injected into the dorsal and median raphe nuclei and was visualized with Texas Red, while serotonin was visualized with fluorescein. Thus, double-labeled fibers were unequivocally identified as serotoninergic and originating from one of the labeled neurons within the dorsal and median raphe nuclei. Double-labeled fiber segments, typically of fine caliber with oval varicosities, were observed in many areas of the cochlear nucleus. They were found in the molecular layer of the dorsal cochlear nucleus, in the small cell cap region, and in the granule cell and external regions of the cochlear nuclei, bilaterally, of all cats. However, the density of these double-labeled fiber segments varied considerably depending upon the exact region in which they were found. Fiber segments were most dense in the dorsal cochlear nucleus (especially in the molecular layer) and the large spherical cell area of the anteroventral cochlear nucleus; they were moderately dense in the small cell cap region; and fiber segments were least dense in the octopus and multipolar cell regions of the posteroventral cochlear nucleus. Because of the presence of labeled fiber segments in subdivisions of the cochlear nucleus other than the dorsal cochlear nucleus, we concluded that the serotoninergic projection pattern to the cochlear nucleus is divergent and non-specific. Double-labeled fiber segments were also present, but sparse, in the superior olive, localized mainly in periolivary regions; this indicated that the divergence of dorsal and median raphe neurons that extends throughout regions of the cochlear nucleus also extended well beyond the cochlear nucleus to include at least the superior olivary complex as well.

Morphology and physiology of neurons in the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus in rat brain slices

The ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (VNLL) is a prominent neuronal group that lies within the auditory pathway connecting the auditory lower brainstem and midbrain. Previous physiologic studies showed that VNLL neurons respond mainly to contralaterally presented sounds and display various firing patterns. To understand better the role that VNLL neurons play in transmitting and processing of auditory information, we examined the morphology of VNLL neurons and their cellular physiology in young rat brain slices. We made whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and labeled cells intracellularly with neurobiotin to investigate the relation between morphologic neuronal types, intrinsic membrane properties, and postsynaptic responses. VNLL neurons fell into two distinct morphologic groups, i.e., bushy cells and stellate cells, based on their dendritic patterns. Stellate cells were grouped further into stellate I, II, and elongate cells according to soma shape, dendritic branches, and orientation. Bushy cells showed an onset firing pattern and a nonlinear current-voltage relationship. All three subtypes of stellate cells had a linear current-voltage relationship, but exhibited different firing patterns. Stellate I cells showed regular and onset-pause firing patterns, whereas stellate II cells showed adapting and elongate cells showed burst firing patterns. Bushy cells and stellate cells responded to stimulation of the lateral lemniscus with excitatory and/or inhibitory synaptic potentials. These results suggest that the VNLL is a heterogeneous neuronal group and that it contains many channels for processing different kinds of auditory information. Neuronal morphology and intrinsic membrane properties contribute to the behavior of individual neurons.

Colocalization of GABA and glycine in the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus in rat: an in situ hybridization and semiquantitative immunocytochemical study

We have studied by in situ hybridization for GAD65 mRNA in thick sections and by semiquantitative postembedding immunocytochemistry in consecutive semithin sections, the expression of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glycine in cell bodies and axosomatic puncta of the rat ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (VNLL), a prominent monaural brainstem auditory structure. The in situ hybridization and the densitometric analysis of the immunostaining suggest that the rat VNLL contains two main populations of neurons. Approximately one-third of neurons are unstained with either technique and are presumably excitatory; their cell bodies are enveloped by a large number of glycine-immunoreactive puncta. Most if not all of the remaining two-thirds colocalize GABA and glycine and are assumed to be inhibitory. These two populations show a complementary distribution within the VNLL, with inhibitory neurons located mainly ventrally and excitatory neurons dorsally. In scatterplots of gray values measured from cell bodies, the double-labeled cells appear to form a single cluster in terms of their staining intensities for the two transmitter candidates. However, this cluster may have to be further subdivided because cells with extreme GABA/glycine ratios differ from those with average ratios with respect to location or size. The VNLL seems unique among auditory structures by its large number of neurons that colocalize GABA and glycine. Although the functional significance of this colocalization remains unknown, our results suggest that the VNLL exerts convergent excitatory and inhibitory influences over the inferior colliculus, which may underlie the timing processing in the auditory midbrain.

Afferent projections of the superior olivary complex

Based on current literature, the afferents of the superior olivary complex (SOC) are described including those from the cochlear nucleus, inferior colliculus, thalamus, and auditory cortex. Intrinsic SOC afferents and non-auditory afferents from the serotoninergic and noradrenergic systems are also described. New data are provided that show a differential distribution of serotoninergic afferents within the SOC: serotoninergic fibers were relatively sparse in the lateral and medial superior olives and the medial nucleus of the trapezoid body and were most numerous in periolivary regions. There are variations in the density of serotoninergic fibers within periolivary regions themselves. New data is also provided on auditory and non-auditory afferents to SOC neurons, which have known targets. These include: cochlear nucleus afferents to periolivary (lateral nucleus of the trapezoid body, LNTB) cells that project to the inferior colliculus; cortical afferents to periolivary (ventral nucleus of the trapezoid body, VNTB) cells that project to the cochlear nucleus; and serotoninergic and noradrenergic afferents to periolivary (LNTB and VNTB) cells that project to the cochlear nucleus. The relationships between other types of afferents and SOC neurons with known projections are also described as functional circuits. The circuits include those that are part of the ascending auditory system (to the inferior and superior colliculi, lateral lemniscus, and medial geniculate nucleus), the descending auditory system (to the cochlea and cochlear nucleus), and the middle ear reflex circuits.

Effects on cochlear responses of activation of descending pathways from the inferior colliculus

The inferior colliculus (IC) has been shown anatomically to make direct descending connections with medial olivocochlear (MOC) neurones in the auditory brainstem. The MOC neurones project to the outer hair cells in the cochlea and inhibit cochlear neural output. This study investigated the effect of IC stimulation on cochlear output in both guinea pigs and rats in order to determine the functional significance of the IC-to-olivocochlear system projection. Stimulation of the central nucleus and the external cortex of the IC in paralysed guinea pigs, both contra- and ipsilaterally to the test cochlea, resulted in a small increase of the cochlear microphonic amplitude and a small decrease of the compound action potential (CAP) amplitude, the latter equivalent to a 3-6 dB change in acoustic input. Effects on the CAP were maximal in the frequency range 6-10 kHz. These effects were consistent with partial activation of the MOC system. In unparalysed rats, stimulation of the inferior colliculus evoked a large, prolonged suppression ranging from 5-12 dB in the amplitude of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (2f(1)-f(2); DPOAE), as reported previously by Scates et al. (1999). However, this suppression was decreased to only 0-3 dB when the animals were paralysed, suggesting that the larger suppression in the unparalysed state was the consequence of either a general masking effect caused by animal movement, or activation of middle ear muscles by the inferior colliculus stimulation. The results indicate a small but significant excitatory effect of the inferior colliculus on the medial olivocochlear system under conditions of anaesthesia and paralysis.

Physiological properties of neurons in the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus of the rat: intrinsic membrane properties and synaptic responses

The physiological properties including current-voltage relationships, firing patterns, and synaptic responses of the neurons in the ventral nucleus of the lateral lemniscus (VNLL) were studied in brain slices taken through the young rat's (17-37 days old) auditory brain stem. Intracellular recordings were made from VNLL neurons, and synaptic potentials were elicited by electrical stimulation of the lateral lemniscus ventral to the VNLL. Current-voltage relations and firing patterns were tested by recording the electrical potentials produced by intracellular injection of positive and negative currents. There were two types of VNLL neurons (type I and II) that exhibited different current-voltage relationships. In response to negative current, both type I and II neurons produced a graded hyperpolarization. Type I neurons responded to positive current with a graded depolarization and multiple action potentials the number of which was related to the strength of the current injected. The current-voltage relations of type I neurons were nearly linear. Type II neurons responded to positive current with a limited depolarization and only one or a few action potentials. The current-voltage relations of type II neurons were nonlinear near the resting potential. The membrane properties of the type II VNLL neurons may play an important role for processing information about time of onset of a sound. Type I neurons showed three different firing patterns, i.e., regular, onset-pause and adaptation, in response to small positive current. The onset-pause and adaptation patterns could become sustained when a large current was injected. The regular, onset-pause, and adaptation patterns in type I neurons and the onset pattern in type II neurons resemble "chopper," "pauser, " "primary-like," and "on" responses, respectively, as defined in in vivo VNLL studies. The results suggest that different responses to acoustic stimulation could be attributed to intrinsic membrane properties of VNLL neurons. Many VNLL neurons responded to stimulation of the lateral lemniscus with excitatory or inhibitory responses or both. Excitatory and inhibitory responses showed interaction, and the output of the synaptic integration depended on the relative strength of excitatory and inhibitory responses. Neurons with an onset-pause firing pattern were more likely to receive mixed excitatory and inhibitory inputs from the lower auditory brain stem.