Loss of potassium homeostasis underlies hyperthermic conduction failure in control and preconditioned locusts

A review of the bioeffects of low-intensity focused ultrasound and the benefits of a cellular approach

This review article highlights the historical developments and current state of knowledge of an important neuromodulation technology: low-intensity focused ultrasound. Because compelling studies have shown that focused ultrasound can modulate neuronal activity non-invasively, especially in deep brain structures with high spatial specificity, there has been a renewed interest in attempting to understand the specific bioeffects of focused ultrasound at the cellular level. Such information is needed to facilitate the safe and effective use of focused ultrasound to treat a number of brain and nervous system disorders in humans. Unfortunately, to date, there appears to be no singular biological mechanism to account for the actions of focused ultrasound, and it is becoming increasingly clear that different types of nerve cells will respond to focused ultrasound differentially based on the complement of their ion channels, other membrane biophysical properties, and arrangement of synaptic connections. Furthermore, neurons are apparently not equally susceptible to the mechanical, thermal and cavitation-related consequences of focused ultrasound application-to complicate matters further, many studies often use distinctly different focused ultrasound stimulus parameters to achieve a reliable response in neural activity. In this review, we consider the benefits of studying more experimentally tractable invertebrate preparations, with an emphasis on the medicinal leech, where neurons can be studied as unique individual cells and be synaptically isolated from the indirect effects of focused ultrasound stimulation on mechanosensitive afferents. In the leech, we have concluded that heat is the primary effector of focused ultrasound neuromodulation, especially on motoneurons in which we observed a focused ultrasound-mediated blockade of action potentials. We discuss that the mechanical bioeffects of focused ultrasound, which are frequently described in the literature, are less reliably achieved as compared to thermal ones, and that observations ascribed to mechanical responses may be confounded by activation of synaptically-coupled sensory structures or artifacts associated with electrode resonance. Ultimately, both the mechanical and thermal components of focused ultrasound have significant potential to contribute to the sculpting of specific neural outcomes. Because focused ultrasound can generate significant modulation at a temperature <5°C, which is believed to be safe for moderate durations, we support the idea that focused ultrasound should be considered as a thermal neuromodulation technology for clinical use, especially targeting neural pathways in the peripheral nervous system.

The Inhibitory Thermal Effects of Focused Ultrasound on an Identified, Single Motoneuron

Focused ultrasound (US) is an emerging neuromodulation technology that has gained much attention because of its ability to modulate, noninvasively, neuronal activity in a variety of animals, including humans. However, there has been considerable debate about exactly which types of neurons can be influenced and what underlying mechanisms are in play. Are US-evoked motor changes driven indirectly by activated mechanosensory inputs, or more directly via central interneurons or motoneurons? Although it has been shown that US can mechanically depolarize mechanosensory neurons, there are no studies that have yet tested how identified motoneurons respond directly to US and what the underlying mechanism might be. Here, we examined the effects of US on a single, identified motoneuron within a well-studied and tractable invertebrate preparation, the medicinal leech, Hirudo verbana Our approach aimed to clarify single neuronal responses to US, which may be obscured in other studies whereby US is applied across a diverse population of cells. We found that US has the ability to inhibit tonic spiking activity through a predominately thermal mechanism. US-evoked effects persisted after blocking synaptic inputs, indicating that its actions were direct. Experiments also revealed that US-comparable heating blocked the axonal conduction of spontaneous action potentials. Finally, we found no evidence that US had significant mechanical effects on the neurons tested, a finding counter to prevailing views. We conclude that a non-sensory neuron can be directly inhibited via a thermal mechanism, a finding that holds promise for clinical neuromodulatory applications.

Neural dysfunction correlates with heat coma and CTmax in Drosophila but does not set the boundaries for heat stress survival

When heated, insects lose coordinated movement followed by the onset of heat coma (critical thermal maximum, CTmax). These traits are popular measures to quantify interspecific and intraspecific differences in insect heat tolerance, and CTmax correlates well with current species distributions of insects, including Drosophila Here, we examined the function of the central nervous system (CNS) in five species of Drosophila with different heat tolerances, while they were exposed to either constant high temperature or a gradually increasing temperature (ramp). Tolerant species were able to preserve CNS function at higher temperatures and for longer durations than sensitive species, and similar differences were found for the behavioural indices (loss of coordination and onset of heat coma). Furthermore, the timing and temperature (constant and ramp exposure, respectively) for loss of coordination or complete coma coincided with the occurrence of spreading depolarisation (SD) events in the CNS. These SD events disrupt neurological function and silence the CNS, suggesting that CNS failure is the primary cause of impaired coordination and heat coma. Heat mortality occurs soon after heat coma in insects; to examine whether CNS failure could also be the proximal cause of heat death, we used selective heating of the head (CNS) and abdomen (visceral tissues). When comparing the temperature causing 50% mortality (LT50) of each body part versus that of the whole animal, we found that the head was not particularly heat sensitive compared with the abdomen. Accordingly, it is unlikely that nervous failure is the principal/proximate cause of heat mortality in Drosophila.

Analysis of temperature-dependent abnormal bursting patterns of neurons in Aplysia

Temperature affects the firing pattern and electrical activity of neurons in animals, eliciting diverse responses depending on neuronal cell type. However, the mechanisms underlying such diverse responses are not well understood. In the present study, we performed in vitro recording of abdominal ganglia cells of Aplysia juliana, and analyzed their burst firing patterns. We identified atypical bursting patterns dependent on temperature that were totally different from classical bursting patterns observed in R15 neurons of A. juliana. We classified these abnormal bursting patterns into type 1 and type 2; type 1 abnormal single bursts are composed of two kinds of spikes with a long interspike interval (ISI) followed by short ISI regular firing, while type 2 abnormal single bursts are composed of complex multiplets. To investigate the mechanism underlying the temperature dependence of abnormal bursting, we employed simulations using a modified Plant model and determined that the temperature dependence of type 2 abnormal bursting is related to temperature-dependent scaling factors and activation or inactivation of potassium or sodium channels.

Paralysis and heart failure precede ion balance disruption in heat-stressed European green crabs

Acute exposure of ectotherms to critically high temperatures causes injury and death, and this mortality has been associated with a number of physiological perturbations including impaired oxygen transport, loss of ion and water homeostasis, and neuronal failure. It is difficult to discern which of these factors, if any, is the proximate cause of heat injury because, for example, loss of ion homeostasis can impair neuromuscular function (including cardiac function), and conversely impaired oxygen transport reduces ATP supply and can thus reduce ion transport capacity. In this study we investigated if heat stress causes a loss of ion homeostasis in marine crabs and examined if such loss is related to heart failure. We held crabs (Carcinus maenas) at temperatures just below their critical thermal maximum and measured extracellular (hemolymph) and intracellular (muscle) ion concentrations over time. Analysis of Arrhenius plots for heart rates during heating ramps revealed a breakpoint temperature below which heart rate increased with temperature, and above which heart rate declined until complete cardiac failure. As hypothesised, heat stress reduced the Nernst equilibrium potentials of both K⁺ and Na⁺, likely causing a depolarization of the membrane potential. To examine whether this loss of ion balance was likely to cause disruption of neuromuscular function, we exposed crabs to the same temperatures, but this time measured ion concentrations at the individual-specific times of complete paralysis (from which the crabs never recovered), and at the time of cardiac failure. Loss of ion balance was observed only after both paralysis and complete heart failure had occurred; indicating that the loss of neuromuscular function is not caused by a loss of ion homeostasis. Instead we suggest that the observed loss of ion balance may be linked to tissue damage related to heat death.

Ionic mechanisms maintaining action potential conduction velocity at high firing frequencies in an unmyelinated axon

The descending contralateral movement detector (DCMD) is a high‐performance interneuron in locusts with an axon capable of transmitting action potentials (AP) at more than 500 Hz. We investigated biophysical mechanisms for fidelity of high‐frequency transmission in this axon. We measured conduction velocities (CVs) at room temperature during exposure to 10 mmol/L cadmium, a calcium current antagonist, and found significant reduction in CV with reduction at frequencies >200 Hz of ~10%. Higher temperatures induced greater CV reductions during exposure to cadmium across all frequencies of ~20–30%. Intracellular recordings during 15 min of exposure to cadmium or nickel, also a calcium current antagonist, revealed an increase in the magnitude of the afterhyperpolarization potential (AHP) and the time to recover to baseline after the AHP (Medians for Control: −19.8%; Nickel: 167.2%; Cadmium: 387.2%), that could be due to a T‐type calcium current. However, the removal of extracellular calcium did not mimic divalent cation exposure suggesting calcium currents are not the cause of the AHP increase. Computational modeling showed that the effects of the divalent cations could be modeled with a persistent sodium current which could be blocked by high concentrations of divalent cations. Persistent sodium current shortened the AHP duration in our models and increased CV for high‐frequency APs. We suggest that faithful, high‐frequency axonal conduction in the DCMD is enabled by a mechanism that shortens the AHP duration like a persistent or resurgent sodium current.

cGMP-Dependent Protein Kinase Inhibition Extends the Upper Temperature Limit of Stimulus-Evoked Calcium Responses in Motoneuronal Boutons of Drosophila melanogaster Larvae

While the mammalian brain functions within a very narrow range of oxygen concentrations and temperatures, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has employed strategies to deal with a much wider range of acute environmental stressors. The foraging (for) gene encodes the cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKG), has been shown to regulate thermotolerance in many stress-adapted species, including Drosophila, and could be a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of hyperthermia in mammals. Whereas previous thermotolerance studies have looked at the effects of PKG variation on Drosophila behavior or excitatory postsynaptic potentials at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), little is known about PKG effects on presynaptic mechanisms. In this study, we characterize presynaptic calcium ([Ca²⁺]_i) dynamics at the Drosophila larval NMJ to determine the effects of high temperature stress on synaptic transmission. We investigated the neuroprotective role of PKG modulation both genetically using RNA interference (RNAi), and pharmacologically, to determine if and how PKG affects presynaptic [Ca²⁺]_i dynamics during hyperthermia. We found that PKG activity modulates presynaptic neuronal Ca²⁺ responses during acute hyperthermia, where PKG activation makes neurons more sensitive to temperature-induced failure of Ca²⁺ flux and PKG inhibition confers thermotolerance and maintains normal Ca²⁺ dynamics under the same conditions. Targeted motoneuronal knockdown of PKG using RNAi demonstrated that decreased PKG expression was sufficient to confer thermoprotection. These results demonstrate that the PKG pathway regulates presynaptic motoneuronal Ca²⁺ signaling to influence thermotolerance of presynaptic function during acute hyperthermia.

Mechanisms of spreading depolarization in vertebrate and insect central nervous systems

Spreading depolarization (SD) is generated in the central nervous systems of both vertebrates and invertebrates. SD manifests as a propagating wave of electrical depression caused by a massive redistribution of ions. Mammalian SD underlies a continuum of human pathologies from migraine to stroke damage, whereas insect SD is associated with environmental stress-induced neural shutdown. The general cellular mechanisms underlying SD seem to be evolutionarily conserved throughout the animal kingdom. In particular, SD in the central nervous system of Locusta migratoria and Drosophila melanogaster has all the hallmarks of mammalian SD. Locust SD is easily induced and monitored within the metathoracic ganglion (MTG) and can be modulated both pharmacologically and by preconditioning treatments. The finding that the fly brain supports repetitive waves of SD is relatively recent but noteworthy, since it provides a genetically tractable model system. Due to the human suffering caused by SD manifestations, elucidating control mechanisms that could ultimately attenuate brain susceptibility is essential. Here we review mechanisms of SD focusing on the similarities between mammalian and insect systems. Additionally we discuss advantages of using invertebrate model systems and propose insect SD as a valuable model for providing new insights to mammalian SD.

Octopamine stabilizes conduction reliability of an unmyelinated axon during hypoxic stress

Mechanisms that could mitigate the effects of hypoxia on neuronal signaling are incompletely understood. We show that axonal performance of a locust visual interneuron varied depending on oxygen availability. To induce hypoxia, tracheae supplying the thoracic nervous system were surgically lesioned and action potentials in the axon of the descending contralateral movement detector (DCMD) neuron passing through this region were monitored extracellularly. The conduction velocity and fidelity of action potentials decreased throughout a 45-min experiment in hypoxic preparations, whereas conduction reliability remained constant when the tracheae were left intact. The reduction in conduction velocity was exacerbated for action potentials firing at high instantaneous frequencies. Bath application of octopamine mitigated the loss of conduction velocity and fidelity. Action potential conduction was more vulnerable in portions of the axon passing through the mesothoracic ganglion than in the connectives between ganglia, indicating that hypoxic modulation of the extracellular environment of the neuropil has an important role to play. In intact locusts, octopamine and its antagonist, epinastine, had effects on the entry to, and recovery from, anoxic coma consistent with octopamine increasing overall neural performance during hypoxia. These effects could have functional relevance for the animal during periods of environmental or activity-induced hypoxia.

Cell swelling increases the severity of spreading depression in Locusta migratoria

Progressive accumulation of extracellular potassium ions can trigger propagating waves of spreading depression (SD), which are associated with dramatic increases in extracellular potassium levels ([K(+)]o) and arrest in neural activity. In the central nervous system the restricted nature of the extracellular compartment creates an environment that is vulnerable to disturbances in ionic homeostasis. Here we investigate how changes in the size of the extracellular space induced by alterations in extracellular osmolarity affect locust SD. We found that hypotonic exposure increased susceptibility to experimentally induced SD evidenced by a decrease in the latency to onset and period between individual events. Hypertonic exposure was observed to delay the onset of SD or prevent the occurrence altogether. Additionally, the magnitude of extracellular K(+) concentration ([K(+)]o) disturbance during individual SD events was significantly greater and they were observed to propagate more quickly under hypotonic conditions compared with hypertonic conditions. Our results are consistent with a conclusion that hypotonic exposure reduced the size of the extracellular compartment by causing cell swelling and thus facilitated the accumulation of K(+) ions. Lastly, we found that pharmacologically reducing the accumulation of extracellular K(+) using the K(+) channel blocker tetraethylammonium slowed the rate of SD propagation while increasing [K(+)]o through inhibition of the Na-K-2Cl cotransporter increased propagation rates. Overall our findings indicate that treatments or conditions that act to reduce the accumulation of extracellular K(+) help to protect against the development of SD and attenuate the spread of ionic disturbance adding to the evidence that diffusion of K(+) is a leading event during locust SD.

Heat shock response and homeostatic plasticity

Heat shock response and homeostatic plasticity are mechanisms that afford functional stability to cells in the face of stress. Each mechanism has been investigated independently, but the link between the two has not been extensively explored. We explore this link. The heat shock response enables cells to adapt to stresses such as high temperature, metabolic stress and reduced oxygen levels. This mechanism results from the production of heat shock proteins (HSPs) which maintain normal cellular functions by counteracting the misfolding of cellular proteins. Homeostatic plasticity enables neurons and their target cells to maintain their activity levels around their respective set points in the face of stress or disturbances. This mechanism results from the recruitment of adaptations at synaptic inputs, or at voltage-gated ion channels. In this perspective, we argue that heat shock triggers homeostatic plasticity through the production of HSPs. We also suggest that homeostatic plasticity is a form of neuroprotection.

Na+-K+-ATPase trafficking induced by heat shock pretreatment correlates with increased resistance to anoxia in locusts

The sensitivity of insect nervous systems to anoxia can be modulated genetically and pharmacologically, but the cellular mechanisms responsible are poorly understood. We examined the effect of a heat shock pretreatment (HS) on the sensitivity of the locust (Locusta migratoria) nervous system to anoxia induced by water immersion. Prior HS made locusts more resistant to anoxia by increasing the time taken to enter a coma and by reducing the time taken to recover the ability to stand. Anoxic comas were accompanied by surges of extracellular potassium ions in the neuropile of the metathoracic ganglion, and HS reduced the time taken for clearance of excess extracellular potassium ions. This could not be attributed to a decrease in the activity of protein kinase G, which was increased by HS. In homogenates of the metathoracic ganglion, HS had only a mild effect on the activity of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase. However, we demonstrated that HS caused a threefold increase in the immunofluorescent localization of the α-subunit of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase in metathoracic neuronal plasma membranes relative to background labeling of the nucleus. We conclude that HS induced trafficking of Na(+)-K(+)-ATPase into neuronal plasma membranes and suggest that this was at least partially responsible for the increased resistance to anoxia and the increased rate of recovery of neural function after a disturbance of K(+) homeostasis.

Disruption of the blood-brain barrier exacerbates spreading depression in the locust CNS

In response to cellular stress in the nervous system of the locust (Locusta migratoria) neural function is interrupted in association with ionic disturbances propagating throughout nervous tissue (Spreading depression; SD). The insect blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a critical role in the regulation of ion levels within the CNS. We investigated how a disruption in barrier function by transient exposure to 3M urea affects locusts' vulnerability to disturbances in ion levels. Repetitive SD was induced by bath application of ouabain and the extracellular potassium concentration ([K(+)]o) within the metathoracic ganglion (MTG) was monitored. Urea treatment increased the susceptibility to ouabain and caused a progressive impairment in the ability to maintain baseline [K(+)]o levels during episodes of repetitive SD. Additionally, using a within animal protocol we demonstrate that waves of SD, induced by high K(+), propagate throughout the MTG faster following disruption of the BBB. Lastly, we show that targeting the BBB of intact animals reduces their ability to sustain neural function during anoxic conditions. Our findings indicate that locust's ability to withstand stress is diminished following a reduction in barrier function likely due to an impairment of the ability of neural tissue to maintain ionic gradients.

Pharmacological blockade of gap junctions induces repetitive surging of extracellular potassium within the locust CNS

The maintenance of cellular ion homeostasis is crucial for optimal neural function and thus it is of great importance to understand its regulation. Glial cells are extensively coupled by gap junctions forming a network that is suggested to serve as a spatial buffer for potassium (K(+)) ions. We have investigated the role of glial spatial buffering in the regulation of extracellular K(+) concentration ([K(+)]o) within the locust metathoracic ganglion by pharmacologically inhibiting gap junctions. Using K(+)-sensitive microelectrodes, we measured [K(+)]o near the ventilatory neuropile while simultaneously recording the ventilatory rhythm as a model of neural circuit function. We found that blockade of gap junctions with either carbenoxolone (CBX), 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid (18β-GA) or meclofenamic acid (MFA) reliably induced repetitive [K(+)]o surges and caused a progressive impairment in the ability to maintain baseline [K(+)]o levels throughout the treatment period. We also show that a low dose of CBX that did not induce surging activity increased the vulnerability of locust neural tissue to spreading depression (SD) induced by Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase inhibition with ouabain. CBX pre-treatment increased the number of SD events induced by ouabain and hindered the recovery of [K(+)]o back to baseline levels between events. Our results suggest that glial spatial buffering through gap junctions plays an essential role in the regulation of [K(+)]o under normal conditions and also contributes to a component of [K(+)]o clearance following physiologically elevated levels of [K(+)]o.

Alleviating brain stress: what alternative animal models have revealed about therapeutic targets for hypoxia and anoxia

While the mammalian brain is highly dependent on oxygen, and can withstand only a few minutes without air, there are both vertebrate and invertebrate examples of anoxia tolerance. One example is the freshwater turtle, which can withstand days without oxygen, thus providing a vertebrate model with which to examine the physiology of anoxia tolerance without the pathology seen in mammalian ischemia/reperfusion studies. Insect models such as Drosophila melanogaster have additional advantages, such as short lifespans, low cost and well-described genetics. These models of anoxia tolerance share two common themes that enable survival without oxygen: entrance into a state of deep hypometabolism, and the suppression of cellular injury during anoxia and upon restoration of oxygen. The study of such models of anoxia tolerance, adapted through millions of years of evolution, may thus suggest protective pathways that could serve as therapeutic targets for diseases characterized by oxygen deprivation and ischemic/reperfusion injuries.

Astrocytes modulate neural network activity by Ca²+-dependent uptake of extracellular K+

Astrocytes are electrically nonexcitable cells that display increases in cytosolic calcium ion (Ca²+) in response to various neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. However, the physiological role of astrocytic Ca²+ signaling remains controversial. We show here that astrocytic Ca²+ signaling ex vivo and in vivo stimulated the Na+,K+-ATPase (Na+- and K+-dependent adenosine triphosphatase), leading to a transient decrease in the extracellular potassium ion (K+) concentration. This in turn led to neuronal hyperpolarization and suppressed baseline excitatory synaptic activity, detected as a reduced frequency of excitatory postsynaptic currents. Synaptic failures decreased in parallel, leading to an increase in synaptic fidelity. The net result was that astrocytes, through active uptake of K+, improved the signal-to-noise ratio of synaptic transmission. Active control of the extracellular K+ concentration thus provides astrocytes with a simple yet powerful mechanism to rapidly modulate network activity.

Neural thermal performance in porcelain crabs, genus Petrolisthes

Neurons are highly temperature sensitive. Temperature-induced nerve failure may play an important role in determining organismal thermal tolerance limits and distribution patterns. To expand our understanding of the role of neuronal thermal performance in setting thermal limits, we compared the thermal performance of neurons from five porcelain crab (genus Petrolisthes) congeners that differ in thermal habitat. In experiment 1, neuronal performance of sensory neurons was determined by extracellular recording of spontaneous action potentials during thermal ramps. Arrhenius break temperatures of action potential generation were used to calculate maximum critical temperature (CT(max)) and minimum critical temperature (CT(min)) for neuronal performance. CT(max) and CT(min) were related to habitat temperature across the five species and were found to respond to acclimation temperature. In experiment 2, we assessed the performance of neurons from Petrolisthes cinctipes acclimated at 8°, 18°, and 25°C when placed at 30°C (near the whole-organism CT(max) of this species) and demonstrated that neural performance near whole-organism CT(max) increases with increasing acclimation temperature. In experiment 3, we compared the thermal limits of sensory afferents and pacemaker efferents and found that they were correlated, although pacemaker efferents tended to have a higher CT(max) and reduced plasticity. Our final analysis, which was of transcriptomic data in cardiac tissue, leads us to hypothesize that nerve membrane K(+) conductance may underlie variation in nerve thermal tolerance.

Protein expression following heat shock in the nervous system of Locusta migratoria

There is a thermal range for the operation of neural circuits beyond which nervous system function is compromised. Locusta migratoria is native to the semiarid regions of the world and provides an excellent model for studying neural phenomena. In this organism previous exposure to sublethal high temperatures (heat shock, HS) can protect neuronal function against future hyperthermia but, unlike many organisms, the profound physiological adaptations are not accompanied by a robust increase of Hsp70 transcript or protein in the nervous system. We compared Hsp70 increase following HS in the tissues of isolated and gregarious locusts to investigate the effect of population density. We also localized Hsp70 in the metathoracic ganglion (MTG) of gregarious locusts to determine if HS affects Hsp70 in specific cell types that could be masked in whole ganglion assays. Our study indicated no evidence of a consistent change in Hsp70 level in the MTG of isolated locusts following HS. Also, Hsp70 was mainly localized in perineurium, neural membranes and glia and prior HS had no effect on its density or distribution. Finally, we applied 2-D gels to study the proteomic profile of MTG in gregarious locusts following HS; although these experiments showed some changes in the level of ATP-synthase β isoforms, the overall amount of this protein was found unchanged following HS. We conclude that the constitutive level of Hsps in the tissues of locusts is high. Also the thermoprotective effect of HS on the nervous system might be mediated by post-translational modifications or protein trafficking.