Non-noxious skin stimulation activates the nucleus basalis of Meynert and promotes NGF secretion in the parietal cortex via nicotinic ACh receptors

Involvement of the basal nucleus of Meynert on regional cerebral cortical vasodilation associated with masticatory muscle activity in rats

We examined the neural mechanisms for increases in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in the neocortex associated with mastication, focusing on the cortical vasodilative system derived from the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM). In pentobarbital-anesthetized rats, parietal cortical rCBF was recorded simultaneously with electromyogram (EMG) of jaw muscles, local field potentials of frontal cortex, multi-unit activity of NBM neurons, and systemic mean arterial pressure (MAP). When spontaneous rhythmic EMG activity was observed with cortical desynchronization, an increase in NBM activity and a marked rCBF increase independent of MAP changes were observed. A similar rCBF increase was elicited by repetitive electrical stimulation of unilateral cortical masticatory areas. The magnitude of rCBF increase was partially attenuated by administration of the GABAergic agonist muscimol into the NBM. The rCBF increase persisted after immobilization with systemic muscle relaxant (vecuronium). rCBF did not change when jaw muscle activity was induced by electrical stimulation of the pyramidal tract. The results suggest that activation of NBM vasodilator neurons contributes at least in part to the rCBF increase associated with masticatory muscle activity, and that the NBM activation is induced by central commands from the motor cortex, independently of feedback from brainstem central pattern generator or contracting muscles.

Molecular foundations of chiropractic therapy

Background and aim: Alternative medicine is a broad term used to encompass different therapies, including chiropractic. Chiropractic was called “a science of healing without drugs” by its founder, David Daniel Palmer. It is based on the idea that the body has a powerful self-healing ability and that there is a relationship between body structure and function that affects health. In particular, chiropractic assumes that the nervous system controls the human body through nerves branching from the vertebral column and spinal cord. Researchers do not fully understand how chiropractic therapies affect pain, but chiropractic is widely used today to treat chronic pain, such as back pain. Different studies with animal models have demonstrated that chiropractic therapies mediate neuroplasticity, specifically through modulation of neurotrophins. No studies have yet been published on interaction between neurotrophin gene polymorphisms and chiropractic treatment. Methods: We searched PubMed with the following keywords: chiropractic, neuroplasticity, neurotrophin gene polymorphism for a panorama of on the molecular mechanisms of chiropractic therapy. Results: From the material collected, we identified a set of genes and some functional polymorphisms that could be correlated with better response to chiropractic therapy. Conclusions: Further association studies will be necessary to confirm hypotheses of a correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms in specific genes and better response to chiropractic therapy. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Gentle Perineal Skin Stimulation for Control of Nocturia

One of the major causes of nocturia is overactive bladder (OAB). Somatic afferent nerve stimuli are used for treating OAB. However, clinical evidence for the efficacy of this treatment is insufficient due to the lack of appropriate control stimuli. Studies on anesthetized animals, which eliminate emotional factors and placebo effects, have demonstrated an influence of somatic stimuli on urinary bladder functions and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. In general, the effects of somatic stimuli are dependent on the modality, location, and physical characteristics of the stimulus. Recently we showed that gentle stimuli applied to the perineal skin using a soft elastomer roller inhibited micturition contractions to a greater extent than a roller with a hard surface. Studies aiming to elucidate the neural mechanisms of gentle stimulation-induced inhibition reported that 1-10 Hz discharges of low-threshold cutaneous mechanoreceptive Aβ, Aδ, and C fibers evoked during stimulation with an elastomer roller inhibited the micturition reflex by activating the spinal cord opioid system, thereby reducing both ascending and descending transmission between bladder and pontine micturition center. The present review will provide a brief summary of (1) the effect of somatic electrical stimulation on the micturition reflex, (2) the effect of gentle mechanical skin stimulation on the micturition reflex, (3) the afferent, efferent, and central mechanisms underlying the effects of gentle stimulation, and (4) a translational clinical study demonstrating the efficacy of gentle skin stimuli for treating nocturia in the elderly with OAB by using the two roller types inducing distinct effects on rat micturition contractions. Anat Rec, 302:1824-1836, 2019. © 2019 American Association for Anatomy.

Vascular Gap Junctions Contribute to Forepaw Stimulation-Induced Vasodilation Differentially in the Pial and Penetrating Arteries in Isoflurane-Anesthetized Rats

Somatosensory stimulation causes dilation of the pial and penetrating arteries and an increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the representative region of the somatosensory cortex. As an underlying mechanism for such stimulation-induced increases in CBF, cerebral artery dilation has been thought to propagate in the vascular endothelium from the parenchyma to the brain surface. Vascular gap junctions may propagate vasodilation. However, the contribution of vascular gap junctions to cerebrovascular regulation induced by somatosensory stimulation is largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the contribution of vascular gap junctions to the regulation of the pial and penetrating arteries during neuronal activity attributed to somatosensory stimulation. Experiments were performed on male Wistar rats (age: 7-10 weeks) with artificial ventilation under isoflurane anesthesia. For somatosensory stimulation, the left forepaw was electrically stimulated (1.5 mA, 0.5 ms and 10 Hz, for 5 s). The artery in the forelimb area of the right somatosensory cortex was imaged through a cranial window using a two-photon microscope and the diameter was measured. Carbenoxolone (CBX) was intravenously (i.v.) administered, at a dose of 100 mg/kg, to block vascular gap junctions. The forepaw electrical stimulation increased the diameter of the pial and penetrating arteries by 7.0% and 5.0% of the pre-stimulus diameter, respectively, without changing the arterial pressure. After CBX administration, the change in pial artery diameter during forepaw stimulation was attenuated to 3.2%. However, changes in the penetrating artery were not significantly affected. CBF was measured using a laser speckle flowmeter, together with somatosensory-evoked potential (SEP) recorded in the somatosensory cortex. The extent of CBF increase (by 24.1% of the pre-stimulus level) and amplitude of SEP were not affected by CBX administration. The present results suggest that vascular gap junctions, possibly on the endothelium, contribute to pial artery dilation during neuronal activity induced by somatosensory stimulation.

Neurotransmitter release: vacuolar ATPase V0 sector c-subunits in possible gene or cell therapies for Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and psychiatric diseases

We overview the 16-kDa proteolipid mediatophore, the transmembrane c-subunit of the V0 sector of the vacuolar proton ATPase (ATP6V0C) that was shown to mediate the secretion of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine, serotonin, and dopamine (DA) are released from cell soma and/or dendrites if ATP6V0C is expressed in cultured cells. Adeno-associated viral vector-mediated gene transfer of ATP6V0C into the caudate putamen enhanced the depolarization-induced overflow of endogenous DA in Parkinson-model mice. Motor impairment was ameliorated in hemiparkinsonian model mice when ATP6V0C was expressed with DA-synthesizing enzymes. The review discusses application in the future as a potential tool for gene therapy, cell transplantation therapy, and inducible pluripotent stem cell therapy in neurological diseases, from the view point of recent findings regarding vacuolar ATPase.

Effect of acupuncture-like stimulation on cortical cerebral blood flow in aged rats

This study aimed to examine the effect of acupuncture-like stimulation on cortical cerebral blood flow (CBF) in aged rats and the contribution of the intracranial cholinergic vasodilatory system on its response. In urethane-anesthetized rats of 30-37 months of age, manual acupuncture-like stimulation of a forepaw produced an increase in the CBF, independent of systemic arterial pressure. The increase in the CBF induced by forepaw stimulation was abolished by intravenous administration of cholinergic receptor antagonists. Manual acupuncture-like stimulation of a forepaw increased extracellular acetylcholine release in the cerebral cortex. These results suggest that natural somatic afferent stimulation, such as acupuncture-like stimulation, activates the intracranial - most likely, basal forebrain - cholinergic vasodilatory system in the cerebral cortex, even in extremely aged rats.

Non-noxious skin stimulation activates the nucleus basalis of Meynert and promotes NGF secretion in the parietal cortex via nicotinic ACh receptors

The effects of non-noxious skin stimulation on nerve growth factor (NGF) secretion in the parietal cortex were examined in anesthetized rats. Innocuous skin stimulation was delivered to the left hindlimb with a soft-hair brush. Extracellular NGF in the right parietal cortex was collected by microdialysis methods using a protein-permeable probe and was measured using an enzyme-linked immune-sorbent assay. Brushing produced a significant increase in extracellular NGF levels. This NGF response was not observed in rats pretreated with a nicotinic ACh receptor (nAChR) antagonist mecamylamine. We further examined whether brushing could activate the basal forebrain nucleus (nucleus basalis of Meynert, NBM), which is the main source of cholinergic fibers in the cerebral cortex, by means of functional MRI. The blood oxygen level-dependent signal in the right NBM was significantly higher during brushing compared to baseline. The results suggest that non-noxious skin stimulation activates NBM and promotes NGF secretion in the parietal cortex via nAChRs.