Comparing the inferior colliculus of young and old gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) with an emphasis on GABA

Microglial peri-somatic abutments classify two novel types of GABAergic neuron in the inferior colliculus

Emerging evidence suggests functional roles for microglia in the healthy, mature nervous system. However, we know little of the cellular density and ramified morphology of microglia in sensory systems, and even less of their inter-relationship with inhibitory neurons. We therefore conducted fluorescent multi-channel immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy in guinea pigs of both sexes for Iba1, GAD67, GFAP, calbindin, and calretinin. We explored these markers in the inferior colliculi (IC), which contain sub-regions specialized for different aspects of auditory processing. First, we found that while the density of Iba1+ somata is similar throughout the IC parenchyma, Iba1+ microglia in dorsal cortex are significantly more ramified than those in the central nucleus or lateral cortex. Conversely, Iba1+ ramifications in ventral central nucleus, a region with the highest density of GAD67+ (putative GABAergic) neurons in IC, are longer with fewer ramifications. Second, we observed extensive abutments of ramified Iba1+ processes onto GAD67+ somata throughout the whole IC and developed novel measures to quantify these. Cluster analyses revealed two novel sub-types of GAD67+ neuron that differ in the quantity of Iba1+ somatic abutments they receive. Unlike previous classification schemes for GAD67+ neurons in IC, these clusters are not related to GAD67+ soma size. Taken together, these data demonstrate that microglial ramifications vary between IC sub-regions in the healthy, adult IC, possibly related to the ongoing demands of their niche. Furthermore, Iba1+ abutments onto neuronal somata are a novel means by which GAD67+ neurons can be classified.

The Density of Perineuronal Nets Increases With Age in the Inferior Colliculus in the Fischer Brown Norway Rat

Age-related hearing loss, one of the most frequently diagnosed disabilities in industrialized countries, may result from declining levels of GABA in the aging inferior colliculus (IC). However, the mechanisms of aging and subsequent disruptions of temporal processing in elderly hearing abilities are still being investigated. Perineuronal nets (PNs) are a specialized form of the extracellular matrix and have been linked to GABAergic neurotransmission and to the regulation of structural and synaptic plasticity. We sought to determine whether the density of PNs in the IC changes with age. We combined Wisteria floribunda agglutinin (WFA) staining with immunohistochemistry to glutamic acid decarboxylase in three age groups of Fischer Brown Norway (FBN) rats. The density of PNs on GABAergic and non-GABAergic cells in the three major subdivisions of the IC was quantified. Results first demonstrate that the density of PNs in the FBN IC increase with age. The greatest increases of PN density from young to old age occurred in the central IC (67% increase) and dorsal IC (117% increase). Second, in the young IC, PNs surround non-GABAergic and GABAergic cells with the majority of PNs surrounding the former. The increase of PNs with age in the IC occurred on both non-GABAergic and GABAergic populations. The average density of PN-surrounded non-GABAergic cells increased from 84.9 PNs/mm² in the young to 134.2 PNs/mm² in the old. While the density of PN-surrounded GABAergic cells increased from 26 PNs/mm² in the young to 40.6 PNs/mm² in the old. The causality is unclear, but increases in PN density in old age may play a role in altered auditory processing in the elderly, or may lead to further changes in IC plasticity.

Increasing GABA reverses age-related alterations in excitatory receptive fields and intensity coding of auditory midbrain neurons in aged mice

A key feature of age-related hearing loss is a reduction in the expression of inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central auditory system. This loss is partially responsible for changes in central auditory processing, as inhibitory receptive fields play a critical role in shaping neural responses to sound stimuli. Vigabatrin (VGB), an antiepileptic agent that irreversibly inhibits γ-amino butyric acid (GABA) transaminase, leads to increased availability of GABA throughout the brain. This study used multi-channel electrophysiology measurements to assess the excitatory frequency response areas in old CBA mice to which VGB had been administered. We found a significant post-VGB reduction in the proportion of V-type shapes, and an increase in primary-like excitatory frequency response areas. There was also a significant increase in the mean maximum driven spike rates across the tonotopic frequency range of all treated animals, consistent with observations that GABA buildup within the central auditory system increases spike counts of neural receptive fields. This increased spiking is also seen in the rate-level functions and seems to explain the improved low-frequency thresholds.

Descending projections from the inferior colliculus to the dorsal cochlear nucleus are excitatory

Ascending projections of the dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) target primarily the contralateral inferior colliculus (IC). In turn, the IC sends bilateral descending projections back to the DCN. We sought to determine the nature of these descending axons in order to infer circuit mechanisms of signal processing at one of the earliest stages of the central auditory pathway. An anterograde tracer was injected in the IC of CBA/Ca mice to reveal terminal characteristics of the descending axons. Retrograde tracer deposits were made in the DCN of CBA/Ca and transgenic GAD67-EGFP mice to investigate the cells giving rise to these projections. A multiunit best frequency was determined for each injection site. Brains were processed by using standard histologic methods for visualization and examined by fluorescent, brightfield, and electron microscopy. Descending projections from the IC were inferred to be excitatory because the cell bodies of retrogradely labeled neurons did not colabel with EGFP expression in neurons of GAD67-EGFP mice. Furthermore, additional experiments yielded no glycinergic or cholinergic positive cells in the IC, and descending projections to the DCN were colabeled with antibodies against VGluT2, a glutamate transporter. Anterogradely labeled endings in the DCN formed asymmetric postsynaptic densities, a feature of excitatory neurotransmission. These descending projections to the DCN from the IC were topographic and suggest a feedback pathway that could underlie a frequency-specific enhancement of some acoustic signals and suppression of others. The involvement of this IC-DCN circuit is especially noteworthy when considering the gating of ascending signal streams for auditory processing. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:773-793, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.