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Ahmed B, Duque A, Rakic P, Molnár Z. Correlation between the number of interstitial neurons of the white matter and number of neurons within cortical layers: Histological analyses in postnatal macaque. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25626. [PMID: 39031698 PMCID: PMC11262481 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
We have examined the number and distribution of NeuN-immunoreactive cortical white matter interstitial cells (WMICs) and compared them to the neurons in layers 1-6 across the overlying cortex in coronal sections from postnatal macaques. The data have been gathered from over 300 selected regions at gyral crowns, at sulci, and at linear regions of the cortex where we also determined cortical layer thicknesses: standard thicknesses and tangential thicknesses. Cortical thicknesses and cell numbers showed variability according to gyral, linear, or sulcal regions. In spite of these variations, our standardized cell numbers in layers 1 to 6b and interstitial cells underlying layer 6b-white matter boundary have shown a consistent correlation between the number of WMICs and the number of layer 5 and 6a cortical neurons on all cortical regions studied: for each WMIC, there are on the order of five cortical neurons in layer 5 and approximately three cortical neurons in layer 6a, irrespective of the origins of the selected cortical area or whether they are from gyral, linear, or sulcal regions. We propose that the number of interstitial neurons in the postnatal macaque cortex is correlated to the density of neurons within layers 5 and 6a and, from a clinical perspective, the change in density or distribution of interstitial neurons in schizophrenia or epilepsy may in fact be linked to the number of layers 5 and 6a neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bashir Ahmed
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Sherrington Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alvaro Duque
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pasko Rakic
- Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Zoltán Molnár
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, Sherrington Building, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Gamage R, Rossetti I, Niedermayer G, Münch G, Buskila Y, Gyengesi E. Chronic neuroinflammation during aging leads to cholinergic neurodegeneration in the mouse medial septum. J Neuroinflammation 2023; 20:235. [PMID: 37833764 PMCID: PMC10576363 DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02897-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Low-grade, chronic inflammation in the central nervous system characterized by glial reactivity is one of the major hallmarks for aging-related neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). The basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCN) provide the primary source of cholinergic innervation of the human cerebral cortex and may be differentially vulnerable in various neurodegenerative diseases. However, the impact of chronic neuroinflammation on the cholinergic function is still unclear. METHODS To gain further insight into age-related cholinergic decline, we investigated the cumulative effects of aging and chronic neuroinflammation on the structure and function of the septal cholinergic neurons in transgenic mice expressing interleukin-6 under the GFAP promoter (GFAP-IL6), which maintains a constant level of gliosis. Immunohistochemistry combined with unbiased stereology, single cell 3D morphology analysis and in vitro whole cell patch-clamp measurements were used to validate the structural and functional changes of BFCN and their microglial environment in the medial septum. RESULTS Stereological estimation of MS microglia number displayed significant increase across all three age groups, while a significant decrease in cholinergic cell number in the adult and aged groups in GFAP-IL6 mice compared to control. Moreover, we observed age-dependent alterations in the electrophysiological properties of cholinergic neurons and an increased excitability profile in the adult GFAP-IL6 group due to chronic neuroinflammation. These results complimented the significant decrease in hippocampal pyramidal spine density seen with aging and neuroinflammation. CONCLUSIONS We provide evidence of the significant impact of both aging and chronic glial activation on the cholinergic and microglial numbers and morphology in the MS, and alterations in the passive and active electrophysiological membrane properties of septal cholinergic neurons, resulting in cholinergic dysfunction, as seen in AD. Our results indicate that aging combined with gliosis is sufficient to cause cholinergic disruptions in the brain, as seen in dementias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rashmi Gamage
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Ilaria Rossetti
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Garry Niedermayer
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Gerald Münch
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Yossi Buskila
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Erika Gyengesi
- School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
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3
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Ji YW, Shen ZL, Zhang X, Zhang K, Jia T, Xu X, Geng H, Han Y, Yin C, Yang JJ, Cao JL, Zhou C, Xiao C. Plasticity in ventral pallidal cholinergic neuron-derived circuits contributes to comorbid chronic pain-like and depression-like behaviour in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2182. [PMID: 37069246 PMCID: PMC10110548 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37968-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Nucleus- and cell-specific interrogation of individual basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic circuits is crucial for refining targets to treat comorbid chronic pain-like and depression-like behaviour. As the ventral pallidum (VP) in the BF regulates pain perception and emotions, we aim to address the role of VP-derived cholinergic circuits in hyperalgesia and depression-like behaviour in chronic pain mouse model. In male mice, VP cholinergic neurons innervate local non-cholinergic neurons and modulate downstream basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurons through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. These cholinergic circuits are mobilized by pain-like stimuli and become hyperactive during persistent pain. Acute stimulation of VP cholinergic neurons and the VP-BLA cholinergic projection reduces pain threshold in naïve mice whereas inhibition of the circuits elevated pain threshold in pain-like states. Multi-day repetitive modulation of the VP-BLA cholinergic pathway regulates depression-like behaviour in persistent pain. Therefore, VP-derived cholinergic circuits are implicated in comorbid hyperalgesia and depression-like behaviour in chronic pain mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-Wei Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Zi-Lin Shen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Kairan Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Tao Jia
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Xiangying Xu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Huizhen Geng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Yu Han
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
| | - Cui Yin
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jian-Jun Yang
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Jun-Li Cao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Chunyi Zhou
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Cheng Xiao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, China.
- Jiangsu Province Key Laboratory of Anesthesia and Analgesia Application Technology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Narcotic and Psychotropic Drugs, School of Anesthesiology, Xuzhou Medical University, 221004, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, China.
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4
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Miyawaki EK, Bhattacharyya S, Torre M. Revisiting a Telencephalic Extent of the Ascending Reticular Activating System. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2023:10.1007/s10571-023-01339-3. [PMID: 36964874 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-023-01339-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Is the cerebrum involved in its own activation to states of attention or arousal? "Telencephalon" is a term borrowed from embryology to identify not only the cerebral hemispheres of the forebrain, but also the basal forebrain. We review a generally undercited literature that describes nucleus basalis of Meynert, located within the substantia innominata of the ventrobasal forebrain, as a telencephalic extension of the ascending reticular activating formation. Although that formation's precise anatomical definition and localization have proven elusive over more than 70 years, a careful reading of sources reveals that there are histological features common to certain brainstem neurons and those of the nucleus basalis, and that a largely common dendritic architecture may be a morphological aspect that helps to define non-telencephalic structures of the ascending reticular activating formation (e.g., in brainstem) as well as those parts of the formation that are telencephalic and themselves responsible for cortical activation. We draw attention to a pattern of dendritic arborization described as "isodendritic," a uniform (isos-) branching in which distal dendrite branches are significantly longer than proximal ones. Isodendritic neurons also differ from other morphological types based on their heterogeneous, rather than specific afferentation. References reviewed here are consistent in their descriptions of histology, particularly in studies of locales rich in cholinergic neurons. We discuss the therapeutic implications of a basal forebrain site that may activate cortex. Interventions that specifically target nucleus basalis and, especially, the survival of its constituent neurons may benefit afflictions in which higher cortical function is compromised due to disturbed arousal or attentiveness, including not only coma and related syndromes, but also conditions colloquially described as states of cognitive "fog" or of "long-haul" mental compromise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edison K Miyawaki
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, 60 Fenwood Rd., Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Shamik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Mass General Brigham, 60 Fenwood Rd., Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Matthew Torre
- Department of Pathology, Mass General Brigham, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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5
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Sakharkar M, Rockland KS, Duque A. Complex Neurochemical Microstructure of the Stria Terminalis in Infant and Adult Macaque Monkey. Front Neuroanat 2022; 16:891608. [PMID: 35692258 PMCID: PMC9174467 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2022.891608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The stria terminalis (ST) is a major bidirectional fiber tract anchored in the amygdala and bed nucleus (BNST). Extensive investigations in rodents report a complex arrangement of neurochemically diverse neurons within the ST, but fewer data are available for non-human primates. Given the functional importance of the ST, we investigated its microarchitecture in one newborn, four infant, and two adult macaque brains, by parallel immunocytochemical series for cells or fibers. Main results are as follows: (1) The pan-neuronal marker NeuN shows scattered neurons and small neuronal clusters in both the dorsal and ventral ST, but more numerous dorsally; (2) smaller neuronal subpopulations are labeled by calretinin (CR), neuropeptide Y (NPY), calbindin (CB), and somatostatin (SOM), of which the CR + neurons are the most numerous; (3) the infant brains on average have more neurons in the ST than the adult brains, but across our sample, there is notable individual variability; and (4) fiber architectonics have a complex organization, which can be referenced to myelin-poor or myelin-dense zones. Myelin-poor zones coincide with concentrations of fibers positive for CB, CR, or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Neurons have been reported in other white matter domains (e.g., anterior commissure, corpus callosum, cingulum bundle, and subcortical white matter). Like these, at least some neurons within the ST may give rise to long-distance connections, and/or participate in more local functions, such as vascular regulation or axon guidance/maintenance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathleen S. Rockland
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Alvaro Duque
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
- *Correspondence: Alvaro Duque,
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6
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McDonald AJ, Duque A. Specific neuronal subpopulations in the amygdala of macaque monkeys express high levels of nonphosphorylated neurofilaments. Brain Res 2022; 1777:147767. [PMID: 34958755 PMCID: PMC8792357 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Pyramidal neurons in the neocortex that express nonphosphorylated neurofilaments (NPNFs) are especially vulnerable to degeneration in Alzheimer's disease. Since the basolateral nuclear complex of the amygdala (BNC) and cortical nuclear complex of the amygdala (CNC) are cortex-like structures, containing both pyramidal (PNs) and nonpyramidal neurons (NPNs), it is of interest to determine which cell types in the primate BNC and CNC are NPNF+. We also studied NPNF expression in the non-cortex-like nuclei of the amygdala (central and medial nuclei). Digitized images of sections through fetal, newborn, infant, and adult macaque brains stained for NPNFs, obtained from the Macaque Brain Resource (MacBrainResource, MBR), were analyzed. The pattern of NPNF immunoreactivity (NPNF-ir) in the BNC, CNC, and medial nucleus was essentially identical in all four age groups, but there were some age-dependent differences in the central nucleus. All BNC and CNC nuclei contained a moderate density of NPNF+ NPNs. Both the somata and the entire dendritic arborizations of these NPNs were stained. PNs with robust NPNF-ir in their somata and proximal dendrites were only seen in the basal magnocellular nucleus, where it appeared that virtually every PN was NPNF+. This pattern of NPNF expression is distinct from that seen in the mammalian neocortex, where NPNF+ neurons are almost entirely PNs, but is very similar to that seen in a recent study of the rat BNC. These findings, in conjunction with the cortical data, suggest the possibility that NPNF+ neuronal subpopulations in the BNC and CNC might be especially vulnerable in Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Joseph McDonald
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Neuroscience, University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Columbia, SC 29208, USA.
| | - Alvaro Duque
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, SHM C317B, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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8
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Kljakic O, Al-Onaizi M, Janíčková H, Chen KS, Guzman MS, Prado MAM, Prado VF. Cholinergic transmission from the basal forebrain modulates social memory in male mice. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:6075-6092. [PMID: 34308559 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Disruptions in social behaviour are prevalent in many neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism spectrum disorders. However, the underlying neurochemical regulation of social behaviour is still not well understood. The central cholinergic system has been proposed to contribute to the regulation of social behaviour. For instance, decreased global levels of acetylcholine release in the brain leads to decreased social interaction and an impairment of social memory in mice. Nonetheless, it has been difficult to ascertain the specific brain areas where cholinergic signalling influences social preference and social memory. In this study, we investigated the impact of different forebrain cholinergic regions on social behaviour by examining mouse lines that differ in their regional expression level of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter-the protein that regulates acetylcholine secretion. We found that when cholinergic signalling is highly disrupted in the striatum, hippocampus, cortex and amygdala mice have intact social preference but are impaired in social memory, as they cannot remember a familiar conspecific nor recognize a novel one. A similar pattern emerges when acetylcholine release is disrupted mainly in the striatum, cortex, and amygdala; however, the ability to recognize novel conspecifics is retained. In contrast, cholinergic signalling of the striatum and amygdala does not appear to significantly contribute to the modulation of social memory and social preference. Furthermore, we demonstrated that increasing global cholinergic tone does not increase social behaviours. Together, these data suggest that cholinergic transmission from the hippocampus and cortex are important for regulating social memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ornela Kljakic
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mohammed Al-Onaizi
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Helena Janíčková
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Neurochemistry, Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Kevin S Chen
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Monica S Guzman
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marco A M Prado
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Vania F Prado
- Robarts Research Institute, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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9
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Eck SR, Xu SJ, Telenson A, Duggan MR, Cole R, Wicks B, Bergmann J, Lefebo H, Shore M, Shepard KA, Akins MR, Parikh V, Heller EA, Bangasser DA. Stress Regulation of Sustained Attention and the Cholinergic Attention System. Biol Psychiatry 2020; 88:566-575. [PMID: 32600739 PMCID: PMC7487022 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress exacerbates symptoms of schizophrenia and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which are characterized by impairments in sustained attention. Yet how stress regulates attention remains largely unexplored. We investigated whether a 6-day variable stressor altered sustained attention and the cholinergic attention system in male and female rats. METHODS Sustained attention was tested with the sustained attention task. Successful performance on the sustained attention task relies on the release of acetylcholine (ACh) into the cortex from cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM). Thus, we evaluated whether variable stress (VS) altered the morphology of these neurons with a novel approach using a Cre-dependent virus in genetically modified ChAT::Cre rats, a species used for this manipulation only. Next, electrochemical recordings measured cortical ACh following VS. Finally, we used RNA sequencing to identify VS-induced transcriptional changes in the NBM. RESULTS VS impaired attentional performance in the sustained attention task and increased the dendritic complexity of NBM cholinergic neurons in both sexes. NBM cholinergic neurons are mainly under inhibitory control, so this morphological change could increase inhibition on these neurons, reducing downstream ACh release to impair attention. Indeed, VS decreased ACh release in the prefrontal cortex of male rats. Quantification of global transcriptional changes revealed that although VS induced many sex-specific changes in gene expression, it increased several signaling molecules in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS These studies suggest that VS impairs attention by inducing molecular and morphological changes in the NBM. Identifying mechanisms by which stress regulates attention may guide the development of novel treatments for psychiatric disorders with attention deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha R Eck
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Song-Jun Xu
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Alexander Telenson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael R Duggan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Robert Cole
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brittany Wicks
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Joy Bergmann
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Hanna Lefebo
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Marni Shore
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Michael R Akins
- Department of Biology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Elizabeth A Heller
- Penn Epigenetics Institute, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Debra A Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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10
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Zhu PK, Zheng WS, Zhang P, Jing M, Borden PM, Ali F, Guo K, Feng J, Marvin JS, Wang Y, Wan J, Gan L, Kwan AC, Lin L, Looger LL, Li Y, Zhang Y. Nanoscopic Visualization of Restricted Nonvolume Cholinergic and Monoaminergic Transmission with Genetically Encoded Sensors. NANO LETTERS 2020; 20:4073-4083. [PMID: 32396366 PMCID: PMC7519949 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.9b04877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
How neuromodulatory transmitters diffuse into the extracellular space remains an unsolved fundamental biological question, despite wide acceptance of the volume transmission model. Here, we report development of a method combining genetically encoded fluorescent sensors with high-resolution imaging and analysis algorithms which permits the first direct visualization of neuromodulatory transmitter diffusion at various neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Our analysis reveals that acetylcholine and monoamines diffuse at individual release sites with a spread length constant of ∼0.75 μm. These transmitters employ varied numbers of release sites, and when spatially close-packed release sites coactivate they can spillover into larger subcellular areas. Our data indicate spatially restricted (i.e., nonvolume) neuromodulatory transmission to be a prominent intercellular communication mode, reshaping current thinking of control and precision of neuromodulation crucial for understanding behaviors and diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula K. Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Math, Engineering & Science Academy Class of 2020, Albemarle High School, Charlottesville, VA 22901
- Summer Secondary School Neurobiology Class of 2019, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Current address: Undergraduate Class of 2024, Harvard College, Cambridge, MA 02138
| | - W. Sharon Zheng
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
- Department of Biomedical Engineering Class of 2021, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
| | - Miao Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Philip M. Borden
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147
- Current address: LifeEDIT, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
| | - Farhan Ali
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Kaiming Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Jiesi Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jonathan S. Marvin
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147
| | - Yali Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
| | - Jinxia Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Li Gan
- Helen and Robert Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine College, New York, NY 10065
| | - Alex C. Kwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Li Lin
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, China
| | - Loren L. Looger
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yajun Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology and Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
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11
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Nunez-Parra A, Cea-Del Rio CA, Huntsman MM, Restrepo D. The Basal Forebrain Modulates Neuronal Response in an Active Olfactory Discrimination Task. Front Cell Neurosci 2020; 14:141. [PMID: 32581716 PMCID: PMC7289987 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2020.00141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Successful completion of sensory decision-making requires focusing on relevant stimuli, adequate signal/noise ratio for stimulus discrimination, and stimulus valence evaluation. Different brain regions are postulated to play a role in these computations; however, evidence suggests that sensory and decision-making circuits are required to interact through a common neuronal pathway to elicit a context-adequate behavioral response. Recently, the basal forebrain (BF) region has emerged as a good candidate, since its heterogeneous projecting neurons innervate most of the cortical mantle and sensory processing circuits modulating different aspects of the sensory decision-making process. Moreover, evidence indicates that the BF plays an important role in attention and in fast modulation of neuronal activity that enhance visual and olfactory sensory perception. Here, we study in awake mice the involvement of BF in initiation and completion of trials in a reward-driven olfactory detection task. Using tetrode recordings, we find that BF neurons (including cholinergics) are recruited during sensory discrimination, reward, and interestingly slightly before trial initiation in successful discrimination trials. The precue neuronal activity was correlated with animal performance, indicating that this circuit could play an important role in adaptive context-dependent behavioral responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexia Nunez-Parra
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center and Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Christian A. Cea-Del Rio
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Medicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Molly M. Huntsman
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Diego Restrepo
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Rocky Mountain Taste and Smell Center and Neuroscience Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
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12
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Regulation of cholinergic basal forebrain development, connectivity, and function by neurotrophin receptors. Neuronal Signal 2019; 3:NS20180066. [PMID: 32269831 PMCID: PMC7104233 DOI: 10.1042/ns20180066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Revised: 01/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic basal forebrain (cBF) neurons are defined by their expression of the p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) and tropomyosin-related kinase (Trk) neurotrophin receptors in addition to cholinergic markers. It is known that the neurotrophins, particularly nerve growth factor (NGF), mediate cholinergic neuronal development and maintenance. However, the role of neurotrophin signalling in regulating adult cBF function is less clear, although in dementia, trophic signalling is reduced and p75NTR mediates neurodegeneration of cBF neurons. Here we review the current understanding of how cBF neurons are regulated by neurotrophins which activate p75NTR and TrkA, B or C to influence the critical role that these neurons play in normal cortical function, particularly higher order cognition. Specifically, we describe the current evidence that neurotrophins regulate the development of basal forebrain neurons and their role in maintaining and modifying mature basal forebrain synaptic and cortical microcircuit connectivity. Understanding the role neurotrophin signalling plays in regulating the precision of cholinergic connectivity will contribute to the understanding of normal cognitive processes and will likely provide additional ideas for designing improved therapies for the treatment of neurological disease in which cholinergic dysfunction has been demonstrated.
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13
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Jing M, Zhang P, Wang G, Feng J, Mesik L, Zeng J, Jiang H, Wang S, Looby JC, Guagliardo NA, Langma LW, Lu J, Zuo Y, Talmage DA, Role LW, Barrett PQ, Zhang LI, Luo M, Song Y, Zhu JJ, Li Y. A genetically encoded fluorescent acetylcholine indicator for in vitro and in vivo studies. Nat Biotechnol 2018; 36:726-737. [PMID: 29985477 PMCID: PMC6093211 DOI: 10.1038/nbt.4184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 204] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) regulates a diverse array of physiological processes throughout the body. Despite its importance, cholinergic transmission in the majority of tissues and organs remains poorly understood owing primarily to the limitations of available ACh-monitoring techniques. We developed a family of ACh sensors (GACh) based on G-protein-coupled receptors that has the sensitivity, specificity, signal-to-noise ratio, kinetics and photostability suitable for monitoring ACh signals in vitro and in vivo. GACh sensors were validated with transfection, viral and/or transgenic expression in a dozen types of neuronal and non-neuronal cells prepared from multiple animal species. In all preparations, GACh sensors selectively responded to exogenous and/or endogenous ACh with robust fluorescence signals that were captured by epifluorescence, confocal, and/or two-photon microscopy. Moreover, analysis of endogenous ACh release revealed firing-pattern-dependent release and restricted volume transmission, resolving two long-standing questions about central cholinergic transmission. Thus, GACh sensors provide a user-friendly, broadly applicable tool for monitoring cholinergic transmission underlying diverse biological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871,
China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peng Zhang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
| | - Guangfu Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
- Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin
150001, China
| | - Jiesi Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871,
China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Lukas Mesik
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine,
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033
| | - Jianzhi Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871,
China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Huoqing Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871,
China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Shaohua Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794
| | - Jess C. Looby
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
- Undergraduate Class of 2019, University of Virginia College of Arts and Sciences, Charlottesville, VA
22908
| | - Nick A. Guagliardo
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
| | - Linda W. Langma
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
| | - Ju Lu
- Department of Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
| | - Yi Zuo
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
95064
| | - David A. Talmage
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794
| | - Lorna W. Role
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794
| | - Paula Q. Barrett
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
| | - Li I. Zhang
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Department of Physiology & Neuroscience, Keck School of Medicine,
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033
| | - Minmin Luo
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yan Song
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
| | - J. Julius Zhu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA 22908
- School of Medicine, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315010, China
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EN, Nijmegen,
Netherlands
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science
and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Yulong Li
- State Key Laboratory of Membrane Biology, Peking University School of Life Sciences, Beijing 100871,
China
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 100871, China
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Beijing 100871, China
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14
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Clark M, Bracci E. Dichotomous Dopaminergic Control of Ventral Pallidum Neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:260. [PMID: 30186117 PMCID: PMC6113373 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral pallidum (VP) is crucially involved in reward processing. Dopaminergic afferents reach the VP from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Recent in vivo studies suggest dopamine application increase the firing in the VP. However, little is known about the cellular effects of dopamine within the VP. We aimed to address this paucity of data using brain slices containing the VP and multi-electrode array recordings. Dopamine significantly affected firing in 86% of spontaneously active VP neurons. Among the affected neurons, 84% were excited, while 16% were inhibited. The selective D1-like receptor agonist SKF81297 also had modulatory effects on the majority of VP neurons, but its effects were universally excitatory. On the other hand, the D2-like receptor agonist quinpirole had modulatory effects on 87% of VP neurons studied. It caused significant inhibitory effects in 33% of the cases and excitatory effects in the remaining 67%. The effects of D1-like receptor activation were presynaptic as blocking synaptic transmission with low Ca2+ abolished the effects of SKF81297 application. Furthermore, SKF81297 effects were abolished by blocking ionotropic glutamate receptors, suggesting that D1-like receptors boost glutamate release, which in turn excites VP neurons through postsynaptic glutamate receptors. Effects caused by D2-like receptor activation were found to involve pre and postsynaptic mechanisms, as low Ca2+ abolished the excitatory effects of quinpirole but not the inhibitory ones. Increases in firing frequency (ff) to quinpirole application were abolished by a group 2/3 mGluR antagonist, suggesting that D2-like receptors cause presynaptic inhibition of glutamate release, resulting in reduced postsynaptic activation of inhibitory mGluRs. Conversely, the inhibitory effects of quinpirole persisted in low Ca2+ and therefore can be attributed to postsynaptic D2-like receptor activation. VP neurons excited by dopamine had shorter spike half-widths and are excited by D1-like receptors (presynaptically) and by D2-like receptors (postsynaptically). VP neurons inhibited by dopamine have longer spike half-widths and while D1-like receptor activation has a presynaptic excitatory influence on them, D2-like receptor activation has a postsynaptic inhibitory effect that prevails, on balance. These data provide novel insights into the cellular mechanisms by which dopamine controls information processing within the VP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Clark
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Enrico Bracci
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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15
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Hu R, Jin S, He X, Xu F, Hu J. Whole-Brain Monosynaptic Afferent Inputs to Basal Forebrain Cholinergic System. Front Neuroanat 2016; 10:98. [PMID: 27777554 PMCID: PMC5056182 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2016.00098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The basal forebrain cholinergic system (BFCS) robustly modulates many important behaviors, such as arousal, attention, learning and memory, through heavy projections to cortex and hippocampus. However, the presynaptic partners governing BFCS activity still remain poorly understood. Here, we utilized a recently developed rabies virus-based cell-type-specific retrograde tracing system to map the whole-brain afferent inputs of the BFCS. We found that the BFCS receives inputs from multiple cortical areas, such as orbital frontal cortex, motor cortex, and insular cortex, and that the BFCS also receives dense inputs from several subcortical nuclei related to motivation and stress, including lateral septum, central amygdala, paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus, dorsal raphe, and parabrachial nucleus. Interestingly, we found that the BFCS receives inputs from the olfactory areas and the entorhinal–hippocampal system. These results greatly expand our knowledge about the connectivity of the mouse BFCS and provided important preliminary indications for future exploration of circuit function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongfeng Hu
- Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University Xi'an, China
| | - Sen Jin
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Wuhan, China
| | - Xiaobin He
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Wuhan, China
| | - Fuqiang Xu
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science, Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics, Chinese Academy of Sciences Wuhan, China
| | - Ji Hu
- School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University Shanghai, China
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16
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Local cholinergic-GABAergic circuitry within the basal forebrain is modulated by galanin. Brain Struct Funct 2016; 222:1385-1400. [PMID: 27496091 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-016-1283-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 07/26/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The basal forebrain (BF) is an important regulator of hippocampal and cortical activity. In Alzheimer's disease (AD), there is a significant loss and dysfunction of cholinergic neurons within the BF, and also a hypertrophy of fibers containing the neuropeptide galanin. Understanding how galanin interacts with BF circuitry is critical in determining what role galanin overexpression plays in the progression of AD. Here, we examined the location and function of galanin in the medial septum/diagonal band (MS/DBB) region of the BF. We show that galanin fibers are located throughout the MS/DBB and intermingled with both cholinergic and GABAergic neurons. Whole-cell patch clamp recordings from MS/DBB neurons in acute slices reveal that galanin decreases tetrodotoxin-sensitive spontaneous GABA release and dampens muscarinic receptor-mediated increases in GABA release in the MS/DBB. These effects are not blocked by pre-exposure to β-amyloid peptide (Aβ1-42). Optogenetic activation of cholinergic neurons in the MS/DBB increases GABA release back onto cholinergic neurons, forming a functional circuit within the MS/DBB. Galanin disrupts this cholinergic-GABAergic circuit by blocking the cholinergic-induced increase in GABA release. These data suggest that galanin works in the BF to reduce inhibitory input onto cholinergic neurons and to prevent cholinergic-induced increase in inhibitory tone. This disinhibition of cholinergic neurons could serve as a compensatory mechanism to counteract the loss of cholinergic signaling that occurs during the progression of AD.
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17
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Cholinergic Neurons in the Basal Forebrain Promote Wakefulness by Actions on Neighboring Non-Cholinergic Neurons: An Opto-Dialysis Study. J Neurosci 2016; 36:2057-67. [PMID: 26865627 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3318-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Understanding the control of sleep-wake states by the basal forebrain (BF) poses a challenge due to the intermingled presence of cholinergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic neurons. All three BF neuronal subtypes project to the cortex and are implicated in cortical arousal and sleep-wake control. Thus, nonspecific stimulation or inhibition studies do not reveal the roles of these different neuronal types. Recent studies using optogenetics have shown that "selective" stimulation of BF cholinergic neurons increases transitions between NREM sleep and wakefulness, implicating cholinergic projections to cortex in wake promotion. However, the interpretation of these optogenetic experiments is complicated by interactions that may occur within the BF. For instance, a recent in vitro study from our group found that cholinergic neurons strongly excite neighboring GABAergic neurons, including the subset of cortically projecting neurons, which contain the calcium-binding protein, parvalbumin (PV) (Yang et al., 2014). Thus, the wake-promoting effect of "selective" optogenetic stimulation of BF cholinergic neurons could be mediated by local excitation of GABA/PV or other non-cholinergic BF neurons. In this study, using a newly designed opto-dialysis probe to couple selective optical stimulation with simultaneous in vivo microdialysis, we demonstrated that optical stimulation of cholinergic neurons locally increased acetylcholine levels and increased wakefulness in mice. Surprisingly, the enhanced wakefulness caused by cholinergic stimulation was abolished by simultaneous reverse microdialysis of cholinergic receptor antagonists into BF. Thus, our data suggest that the wake-promoting effect of cholinergic stimulation requires local release of acetylcholine in the basal forebrain and activation of cortically projecting, non-cholinergic neurons, including the GABAergic/PV neurons. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Optogenetics is a revolutionary tool to assess the roles of particular groups of neurons in behavioral functions, such as control of sleep and wakefulness. However, the interpretation of optogenetic experiments requires knowledge of the effects of stimulation on local neurotransmitter levels and effects on neighboring neurons. Here, using a novel "opto-dialysis" probe to couple optogenetics and in vivo microdialysis, we report that optical stimulation of basal forebrain (BF) cholinergic neurons in mice increases local acetylcholine levels and wakefulness. Reverse microdialysis of cholinergic antagonists within BF prevents the wake-promoting effect. This important result challenges the prevailing dictum that BF cholinergic projections to cortex directly control wakefulness and illustrates the utility of "opto-dialysis" for dissecting the complex brain circuitry underlying behavior.
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18
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Mongia S, Tripathi A, Mengual E. Arborization patterns of amygdalopetal axons from the rat ventral pallidum. Brain Struct Funct 2016; 221:4549-4573. [PMID: 26832919 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-016-1184-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
We previously analyzed the arborization patterns of rat ventral pallidal (VP) axons that coursed caudally to innervate the thalamus and brainstem (Tripathi et al. in Brain Struct Funct 218:1133-1157, 2013). Here, we have reconstructed 16 previously undetected axons from the same tracer deposits that follow a more lateral trajectory. Virtually all 16 axons emanating from the different VP compartments collateralized in the extended amygdala system (EAS) and amygdaloid complex. The most frequent targets of axons from the lateral and medial (VPm) VP compartments were the rostral sublenticular extended amygdala, the extended amygdala (EA), the central nucleus of the amygdala and the posterior part of the basolateral amygdaloid nucleus. In contrast, axons from the rostral extension of the VP preferentially innervated the anterior amygdaloid area, the magnocellular preoptic nucleus, and the anterior part of the basomedial amygdaloid nucleus. We additionally found and reconstructed a single corticopetal axon arising from the VPm. The new results show that both direct and indirect projections from the basolateral complex and EAS to the ventral striatopallidal system are reciprocated by VP projections, and suggest that the systems can be activated simultaneously. The results additionally suggest that the amygdaloid complex and cortex are innervated separately from the VP. Finally, the combination of new and previous data indicate that approximately 84 % of VP axons (88/105) participate in basal ganglia circuits, 15 % (16/105) target the amygdaloid complex, and less than 1 % innervate the cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mongia
- Departamento de Anatomía, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Navarra, Ed. Los Castaños, C/. Irunlarrea 1, 31008, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain
| | - A Tripathi
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Division of Neurosciences, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, 90187, Umeå, Sweden
| | - E Mengual
- Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), Division of Neurosciences, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain. .,Departamento de Anatomía, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Navarra, Ed. Los Castaños, C/. Irunlarrea 1, 31008, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain.
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19
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Leitermann RJ, Rostkowski AB, Urban JH. Neuropeptide Y input to the rat basolateral amygdala complex and modulation by conditioned fear. J Comp Neurol 2016; 524:2418-39. [PMID: 26779765 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2015] [Revised: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Within the basolateral amygdaloid complex (BLA), neuropeptide Y (NPY) buffers against protracted anxiety and fear. Although the importance of NPY's actions in the BLA is well documented, little is known about the source(s) of NPY fibers to this region. The current studies identified sources of NPY projections to the BLA by using a combination of anatomical and neurochemical approaches. NPY innervation of the BLA was assessed in rats by examining the degree of NPY coexpression within interneurons or catecholaminergic fibers with somatostatin and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or dopamine β-hydroxylase (DβH), respectively. Numerous NPY(+) /somatostatin(+) and NPY(+) /somatostatin(-) fibers were observed, suggesting at least two populations of NPY fibers within the BLA. No colocalization was noted between NPY and TH or DβH immunoreactivities. Additionally, Fluorogold (FG) retrograde tracing with immunohistochemistry was used to identify the precise origin of NPY projections to the BLA. FG(+) /NPY(+) cells were identified within the amygdalostriatal transition area (AStr) and stria terminalis and scattered throughout the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. The subpopulation of NPY neurons in the AStr also coexpressed somatostatin. Subjecting animals to a conditioned fear paradigm increased NPY gene expression within the AStr, whereas no changes were observed within the BLA or stria terminalis. Overall, these studies identified limbic regions associated with stress circuits providing NPY input to the BLA and demonstrated that a unique NPY projection from the AStr may participate in the regulation of conditioned fear. J. Comp. Neurol. 524:2418-2439, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randy J Leitermann
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Amanda B Rostkowski
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois
| | - Janice H Urban
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, The Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, Illinois
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Root DH, Melendez RI, Zaborszky L, Napier TC. The ventral pallidum: Subregion-specific functional anatomy and roles in motivated behaviors. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 130:29-70. [PMID: 25857550 PMCID: PMC4687907 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The ventral pallidum (VP) plays a critical role in the processing and execution of motivated behaviors. Yet this brain region is often overlooked in published discussions of the neurobiology of mental health (e.g., addiction, depression). This contributes to a gap in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of psychiatric disorders. This review is presented to help bridge the gap by providing a resource for current knowledge of VP anatomy, projection patterns and subregional circuits, and how this organization relates to the function of VP neurons and ultimately behavior. For example, ventromedial (VPvm) and dorsolateral (VPdl) VP subregions receive projections from nucleus accumbens shell and core, respectively. Inhibitory GABAergic neurons of the VPvm project to mediodorsal thalamus, lateral hypothalamus, and ventral tegmental area, and this VP subregion helps discriminate the appropriate conditions to acquire natural rewards or drugs of abuse, consume preferred foods, and perform working memory tasks. GABAergic neurons of the VPdl project to subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata, and this VP subregion is modulated by, and is necessary for, drug-seeking behavior. Additional circuits arise from nonGABAergic neuronal phenotypes that are likely to excite rather than inhibit their targets. These subregional and neuronal phenotypic circuits place the VP in a unique position to process motivationally relevant stimuli and coherent adaptive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Root
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, United States.
| | - Roberto I Melendez
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00936, United States.
| | - Laszlo Zaborszky
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 07102, United States.
| | - T Celeste Napier
- Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States.
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21
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Decreased subcortical cholinergic arousal in focal seizures. Neuron 2015; 85:561-72. [PMID: 25654258 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.12.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2014] [Revised: 11/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Impaired consciousness in temporal lobe seizures has a major negative impact on quality of life. The prevailing view holds that this disorder impairs consciousness by seizure spread to the bilateral temporal lobes. We propose instead that seizures invade subcortical regions and depress arousal, causing impairment through decreases rather than through increases in activity. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging in a rodent model, we found increased activity in regions known to depress cortical function, including lateral septum and anterior hypothalamus. Importantly, we found suppression of intralaminar thalamic and brainstem arousal systems and suppression of the cortex. At a cellular level, we found reduced firing of identified cholinergic neurons in the brainstem pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus and basal forebrain. Finally, we used enzyme-based amperometry to demonstrate reduced cholinergic neurotransmission in both cortex and thalamus. Decreased subcortical arousal is a critical mechanism for loss of consciousness in focal temporal lobe seizures.
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22
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Bajo VM, Leach ND, Cordery PM, Nodal FR, King AJ. The cholinergic basal forebrain in the ferret and its inputs to the auditory cortex. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:2922-40. [PMID: 24945075 PMCID: PMC4215603 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2013] [Revised: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Cholinergic inputs to the auditory cortex can modulate sensory processing and regulate stimulus-specific plasticity according to the behavioural state of the subject. In order to understand how acetylcholine achieves this, it is essential to elucidate the circuitry by which cholinergic inputs influence the cortex. In this study, we described the distribution of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain and their inputs to the auditory cortex of the ferret, a species used increasingly in studies of auditory learning and plasticity. Cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain, visualized by choline acetyltransferase and p75 neurotrophin receptor immunocytochemistry, were distributed through the medial septum, diagonal band of Broca, and nucleus basalis magnocellularis. Epipial tracer deposits and injections of the immunotoxin ME20.4-SAP (monoclonal antibody specific for the p75 neurotrophin receptor conjugated to saporin) in the auditory cortex showed that cholinergic inputs originate almost exclusively in the ipsilateral nucleus basalis. Moreover, tracer injections in the nucleus basalis revealed a pattern of labelled fibres and terminal fields that resembled acetylcholinesterase fibre staining in the auditory cortex, with the heaviest labelling in layers II/III and in the infragranular layers. Labelled fibres with small en-passant varicosities and simple terminal swellings were observed throughout all auditory cortical regions. The widespread distribution of cholinergic inputs from the nucleus basalis to both primary and higher level areas of the auditory cortex suggests that acetylcholine is likely to be involved in modulating many aspects of auditory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria M Bajo
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Sherrington Building, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PT, UK
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Abstract
Resiliency to the adverse effects of extraordinary emotional trauma on the brain varies within the human population. Accordingly, some people cope better than others with traumatic stress. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36-amino-acid peptide transmitter abundantly expressed in forebrain limbic and brain stem areas that regulate stress and emotional behaviors. Studies largely in rodents demonstrate a role for NPY in promoting coping with stress. Moreover, accruing data from the genetic to the physiological implicate NPY as a potential 'resilience-to-stress' factor in humans. Here, we consolidate findings from preclinical and clinical studies of NPY that are of relevance to stress-associated syndromes, most prototypically posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Collectively, these data suggest that reduced central nervous system (CNS) NPY concentrations or function may be associated with PTSD. We also link specific symptoms of human PTSD with extant findings in the NPY field to reveal potential physiological contributions of the neuropeptide to the disorder. In pursuit of understanding the physiological basis and treatment of PTSD, the NPY system is an attractive target.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Sah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45237, USA.
| | - TD Geracioti
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA,Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Carcea I, Froemke RC. Cortical plasticity, excitatory-inhibitory balance, and sensory perception. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2013; 207:65-90. [PMID: 24309251 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-63327-9.00003-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Experience shapes the central nervous system throughout life. Structural and functional plasticity confers a remarkable ability on the brain, allowing neural circuits to adequately adapt to dynamic environments. This process can require selective adjustment of many excitatory and inhibitory synapses in an organized manner, in such a way as to enhance representations of behaviorally important sensory stimuli while preserving overall network excitability. The rules and mechanisms that orchestrated these changes across different synapses and throughout neuronal ensembles are beginning to be understood. Here, we review the evidence connecting synaptic plasticity to functional plasticity and perceptual learning, focusing on the roles of various neuromodulatory systems in enabling plasticity of adult neural circuits. However, the challenge remains to appropriately leverage these systems and forms of plasticity to persistently improve perceptual abilities and behavioral performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioana Carcea
- Molecular Neurobiology Program, The Helen and Martin Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA; Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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Ovsepian SV, Dolly JO, Zaborszky L. Intrinsic voltage dynamics govern the diversity of spontaneous firing profiles in basal forebrain noncholinergic neurons. J Neurophysiol 2012; 108:406-18. [PMID: 22496531 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00642.2011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous firing and behavior-related changes in discharge profiles of basal forebrain (BF) neurons are well documented, albeit the mechanisms underlying the variety of activity modes and intermodal transitions remain elusive. With the use of cell-attached recordings, this study identifies a range of spiking patterns in diagonal band Broca (DBB) noncholinergic cells of rats and tentatively categorizes them into low-rate random, tonic, and cluster firing activities. It demonstrates further that the multiplicity of discharge profiles is sustained intrinsically and persists after blockade of glutamate-, glycine/GABA-, and cholinergic synaptic inputs. Stimulation of muscarinic receptors, blockade of voltage-gated Ca(2+)-, and small conductance (SK) Ca(2+)-activated K(+) currents as well as chelating of intracellular Ca(2+) concentration accelerate low-rate random and tonic firing and favor transition of neurons into cluster firing mode. A similar trend towards higher discharge rates with switch of neurons into cluster firing has been revealed by activation of neuropeptide Y (NPY) receptors with the NPY or NPY(1) receptor agonist [Leu(31),Pro(34)]-NPY. Whole cell current-clamp analysis demonstrates that the variety of spiking modes and intermodal transitions could be induced within the same neuronal population by injection of bias depolarizing or hyperpolarizing currents. Taken together, these data demonstrate the intrinsic and highly variable character of regenerative firing in BF noncholinergic cells, subject to powerful modulation by classical neurotransmitters, NPY, and small membrane currents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saak V Ovsepian
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey, USA.
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Bergstrom HC, Smith RF, Mollinedo NS, McDonald CG. Chronic nicotine exposure produces lateralized, age-dependent dendritic remodeling in the rodent basolateral amygdala. Synapse 2010; 64:754-64. [PMID: 20336623 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the dendritic morphology of neurons located in the right and left basolateral amygdala (BLA) and infralimbic (IL) cortex following chronic nicotine exposure during adolescence or adulthood. Sprague-Dawley rats were administered subcutaneous injections of nicotine (0.5 mg/kg; free base) or saline three times per week for 2 weeks (six total injections). The dose period began on either postnatal day (P) 32 (adolescent) or P61 (adult). Twenty days following the end of dosing, brains were processed for Golgi-Cox staining, and dendrites from principal neurons in the BLA and pyramidal neurons in the IL were digitally reconstructed in three dimensions. Morphometric analysis revealed a contrasting pattern of BLA dendritic morphology between the adolescent and adult pretreatment groups. In the adult control group, basilar dendritic length did not differ with respect to hemisphere. Nicotine induced robust hemispheric asymmetry by increasing dendritic length in the right hemisphere only. In contrast, adolescent nicotine exposure did not produce significant alteration of basilar dendritic morphology. There was, however, an indication that nicotine eliminated a naturally existing hemispheric asymmetry in the younger cohort. At both ages, nicotine produced a reduction in complexity of the apical tree of principal neurons. Chronic nicotine did not affect the dendritic morphology of pyramidal neurons from the IL in either age group, indicating another dimension of anatomical specificity. Collectively, these data implicate the BLA as a target for lasting neuroplasticity associated with chronic nicotine exposure. Further, hemispheric differences in dendritic morphology were uncovered that depended on the age of nicotine exposure, a finding that underscores the importance of considering laterality when investigating neurodevelopmental effects of drug exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hadley C Bergstrom
- Psychology Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030, USA.
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Dyzma M, Boudjeltia KZ, Faraut B, Kerkhofs M. Neuropeptide Y and sleep. Sleep Med Rev 2010; 14:161-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.smrv.2009.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2009] [Revised: 09/01/2009] [Accepted: 09/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Rotolo T, Smallwood PM, Williams J, Nathans J. Genetically-directed, cell type-specific sparse labeling for the analysis of neuronal morphology. PLoS One 2008; 3:e4099. [PMID: 19116659 PMCID: PMC2605552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0004099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2008] [Accepted: 12/02/2008] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background In mammals, genetically-directed cell labeling technologies have not yet been applied to the morphologic analysis of neurons with very large and complex arbors, an application that requires extremely sparse labeling and that is only rendered practical by limiting the labeled population to one or a few predetermined neuronal subtypes. Methods and Findings In the present study we have addressed this application by using CreER technology to non-invasively label very small numbers of neurons so that their morphologies can be fully visualized. Four lines of IRES-CreER knock-in mice were constructed to permit labeling selectively in cholinergic or catecholaminergic neurons [choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-IRES-CreER or tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-IRES-CreER], predominantly in projection neurons [neurofilament light chain (NFL)-IRES-CreER], or broadly in neurons and some glia [vesicle-associated membrane protein2 (VAMP2)-IRES-CreER]. When crossed to the Z/AP reporter and exposed to 4-hydroxytamoxifen in the early postnatal period, the number of neurons expressing the human placental alkaline phosphatase reporter can be reproducibly lowered to fewer than 50 per brain. Sparse Cre-mediated recombination in ChAT-IRES-CreER;Z/AP mice shows the full axonal and dendritic arbors of individual forebrain cholinergic neurons, the first time that the complete morphologies of these very large neurons have been revealed in any species. Conclusions Sparse genetically-directed, cell type-specific neuronal labeling with IRES-creER lines should prove useful for studying a wide variety of questions in neuronal development and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Rotolo
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Philip M. Smallwood
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - John Williams
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Jeremy Nathans
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Nitric oxide modulates the discharge rate of basal forebrain neurons. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2008; 201:147-60. [PMID: 18661122 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-008-1257-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2007] [Accepted: 07/05/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE During prolonged wakefulness, the concentrations of nitric oxide (NO) and adenosine (AD) increase in the basal forebrain (BF). AD inhibits neuronal activity via adenosine (A1) receptors, thus providing a potential mechanism for sleep facilitation. Although NO in the BF increases adenosine and promotes sleep, it is not clear whether the sleep promotion by NO is mediated through adenosine increase, or NO independently of adenosine could modulate sleep. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to clarify whether NO modulates the discharge rate of BF neurons and whether this effect is mediated via AD. MATERIALS AND METHODS We measured the discharge rates of BF neurons in anesthetized rats during microdialysis infusion of NO donor alone or in combination with A1 receptor antagonist, 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dimethylxanthine. RESULTS NO dose dependently modulated the discharge rate of BF neurons. NO donor (0.5 mM) increased the discharge rates in 48% of neurons and decreased it in 22%. A 1-mM dose decreased it in 55% and increased in 18%. Tactile stimulus affected the discharge rates of most neurons: 60% increased (stimulus-on) it and 14% decreased it (stimulus-off). A 1-mM NO donor predominantly inhibited neurons of both stimulus related types. A small proportion of stimulus-on (23%) neurons but none of the stimulus-off neurons were activated by NO donor. The blockade of A1 receptors partly prevented the inhibitory effect of NO on most of the neurons. This response was more prominent in stimulus-on than in stimulus-off neurons. CONCLUSION NO modulates the BF neuronal discharge rates in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect is partly mediated via adenosine A1 receptors.
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L-Measure: a web-accessible tool for the analysis, comparison and search of digital reconstructions of neuronal morphologies. Nat Protoc 2008; 3:866-76. [PMID: 18451794 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2008.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
L-Measure (LM) is a freely available software tool for the quantitative characterization of neuronal morphology. LM computes a large number of neuroanatomical parameters from 3D digital reconstruction files starting from and combining a set of core metrics. After more than six years of development and use in the neuroscience community, LM enables the execution of commonly adopted analyses as well as of more advanced functions. This report illustrates several LM protocols: (i) extraction of basic morphological parameters, (ii) computation of frequency distributions, (iii) measurements from user-specified subregions of the neuronal arbors, (iv) statistical comparison between two groups of cells and (v) filtered selections and searches from collections of neurons based on any Boolean combination of the available morphometric measures. These functionalities are easily accessed and deployed through a user-friendly graphical interface and typically execute within few minutes on a set of approximately 20 neurons. The tool is available at http://krasnow.gmu.edu/cn3 for either online use on any Java-enabled browser and platform or download for local execution under Windows and Linux.
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