Projection-Specific Heterogeneity of the Axon Initial Segment of Pyramidal Neurons in the Prelimbic Cortex / 神经科学通报·英文版

The axon initial segment (AIS) is a highly specialized axonal compartment where the action potential is initiated. The heterogeneity of AISs has been suggested to occur between interneurons and pyramidal neurons (PyNs), which likely contributes to their unique spiking properties. However, whether the various characteristics of AISs can be linked to specific PyN subtypes remains unknown. Here, we report that in the prelimbic cortex (PL) of the mouse, two types of PyNs with axon projections either to the contralateral PL or to the ipsilateral basal lateral amygdala, possess distinct AIS properties reflected by morphology, ion channel expression, action potential initiation, and axo-axonic synaptic inputs from chandelier cells. Furthermore, projection-specific AIS diversity is more prominent in the superficial layer than in the deep layer. Thus, our study reveals the cortical layer- and axon projection-specific heterogeneity of PyN AISs, which may endow the spiking of various PyN types with exquisite modulation.

The speed-limiting role in the onset of antidepres-sants:the re-establishment of the excitation/inhibi-tion(E/I)function balance in the mPFC of rats / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

OBJECTIVE There are serious hazards in depression,and the precise mechanism underlying the delayed onset of clinical antidepressants remains unclear.The purpose of this study was to investigate the regular pattern of the speed-limiting role of excitation/inhibition(E/I)function balance in the mechanism of antidepressant action.METHODS Based on the previous study,we focused on glutamatergic pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex(mPFC)here and used its excitability to represent the establishment of a new E/I functional balance.We studied the changes in the firing activity of glutamatergic pyramidal neuron in the mPFC at different administration times for five types of antidepressants that act on different pharmacological targets and different onset times,including fluoxetine(SSRI),duloxetine(SNRI),vilazodone[serotonin 1A receptor(5-HT1A)ago-nist and SSRI],ketamine[N-methyl-D-aspartate(NMDA)receptor antagonist],and hypidone hydrochloride(YL-0919,new antidepressant with sigma-1 receptor ago-nist and SSRI).We first examined the initial onset time of activation of pyramidal neurons using multichannel elec-trophysiological recordings and tested the antidepressant behavioral effects using the FST.We then selected three antidepressants(fluoxetine,ketamine,and vilazodone)to explore its effects on the BDNF-mTOR pathway by West-ern blotting.In addition,we disrupted the E/I function bal-ance using chemogenetics to investigate the antidepres-sant-like effects of YL-0919 and ketamine in the FST and TST.RESULTS We found that treatment with fluoxetine for 17 days significantly increased the firing activity of pyramidal neurons and decreased the immobility duration in the FST.Similarly,it took duloxetine for 10 d,vilazodone for 4 d,YL-0919 for 3 d and ketamine for 24 h,to exert such effects.Meanwhile,Western blotting results sug-gested that the expression of BDNF and phosphorylation of mTOR in the mPFC significantly increased.How-ever,haloperidol,a classic antipsychotic(without antide-pressant effects),exerted no such effects on the firing activities of pyramidal neurons.In addition,disrupting the E/I function balance(via activating the GABA neurons and inhibiting the glutamate neurons)blocks out the antidepressant-like effects of YL-0919 and ketamine in the FST and TST.CONCLUSION Taken together,our findings suggest that the commencement of antide-pressant effects may be accompanied by the increase in the firing activity of pyramidal neurons and the activation of the BDNF-mTOR pathway,which may be a necessary and rate-limiting process.The re-establishment of the E/I balance may be a landmark event for the onset of antide-pressant effects.

Protein Kinase C Controls the Excitability of Cortical Pyramidal Neurons by Regulating Kv2.2 Channel Activity / 神经科学通报·英文版

The family of voltage-gated potassium Kv2 channels consists of the Kv2.1 and Kv2.2 subtypes. Kv2.1 is constitutively highly phosphorylated in neurons and its function relies on its phosphorylation state. Whether the function of Kv2.2 is also dependent on its phosphorylation state remains unknown. Here, we investigated whether Kv2.2 channels can be phosphorylated by protein kinase C (PKC) and examined the effects of PKC-induced phosphorylation on their activity and function. Activation of PKC inhibited Kv2.2 currents and altered their steady-state activation in HEK293 cells. Point mutations and specific antibodies against phosphorylated S481 or S488 demonstrated the importance of these residues for the PKC-dependent modulation of Kv2.2. In layer II pyramidal neurons in cortical slices, activation of PKC similarly regulated native Kv2.2 channels and simultaneously reduced the frequency of action potentials. In conclusion, this study provides the first evidence to our knowledge that PKC-induced phosphorylation of the Kv2.2 channel controls the excitability of cortical pyramidal neurons.

Age-dependent changes of p53 and p63 immunoreactivities in the mouse hippocampus / 한국실험동물학회지

P53 and its family member p63 play important roles in cellular senescence and organismal aging. In this study, p53 and p63 immunoreactivity were examined in the hippocampus of young, adult and aged mice by using immunohistochemistry. In addition, neuronal distribution and degeneration was examined by NeuN immunohistochemistry and fluoro-Jade B fluorescence staining. Strong p53 immunoreactivity was mainly expressed in pyramidal and granule cells of the hippocampus in young mice. p53 immunoreactivity in the pyramidal and granule cells was significantly reduced in the adult mice. In the aged mice, p53 immunoreactivity in the pyramidal and granule cells was more significantly decreased. p63 immunoreactivity was strong in the pyramidal and granule cells in the young mice. p63 immunoreactivity in these cells was apparently and gradually decreased with age, showing that p63 immunoreactivity in the aged granule cells was hardly shown. However, numbers of pyramidal neurons and granule cells were not significantly decreased in the aged mice with normal aging. Taken together, this study indicates that there are no degenerative neurons in the hippocampus during normal aging, showing that p53 and p63 immunoreactivity in hippocampal neurons was progressively reduced during normal aging, which might be closely related to the normal aging processes.

Ultraestructura dendrítica en neuronas piramidales de ratones inoculados con virus de la rabia / Dendritric ultrastructure on pyramidal neurons of mice inoculated with rabies virus

Objetivos: Estudiar el efecto de la infección con rabia sobre la ultraestructura dendrítica de las neuronas piramidales de la corteza cerebral en ratones inoculados con el virus por vía intramuscular. Métodos: Ratones adultos inoculados con el virus de la rabia y ratones inoculados con solución vehículo sin el virus (controles) fueron fijados por perfusión intracardiaca, con una solución que contenía paraformaldehído al 4% y glutaraldehído al 2%, cuando los animales infectados manifestaron signos avanzados de la enfermedad. Los encéfalos fueron extraídos y cortados en plano coronal en un vibrátomo. Fragmentos pequeños y delgados de estos cortes, que contenían el área de la corteza cerebral motora, fueron procesados para microscopía electrónica de transmisión. Resultados: En las dendritas distales de las neuronas piramidales de los animales controles se observaron mitocondrias largas y estrechas, así como abundantes microtúbulos organizados en paralelo con la membrana celular. En las dendritas distales de las neuronas piramidales de los ratones infectados con el virus se observaron unas estructuras electrodensas de forma irregular semejantes a figuras de mielina, pero no se observaron las mitocondrias alargadas y los microtúbulos fueron escasos. Algunas dendritas también exhibieron la formación de vacuolas que interrumpían la continuidad del citoplasma y los microtúbulos. Conclusión: La infección con virus de la rabia generó cambios ultraestructurales en las dendritas de las neuronas piramidales corticales que aparentemente no se conocían. Estos resultados son coherentes con hallazgos previos, usando otras técnicas y modelos experimentales, en donde se ha demostrado patología dendrítica inducida por la infección con rabia.

Objectives: To study the effect of rabies infection on the dendritic ultrastructure of pyramidal neurons in the cerebral cortex of mice intramuscularly inoculated with rabies virus. Methods: Adult mice inoculated with rabies virus and mice inoculated with vehicle solution without the virus (controls) were fixed by intracardiac perfusion with a solution containing 4% paraformaldehyde and 2% glutaraldehyde. When infected animals showed advanced signs of disease, their brains were extracted and cut into the coronal plane on a vibratome. Small and thin fragments of these cuts containing motor cortex area were processed for transmission electron microscopy. Results: Distal dendrites of pyramidal neurons of control animals showed long and narrow mitochondria and abundant microtubules arranged in parallel with the cell membrane. In distal dendrites of pyramidal neurons of rabiesinfected mice some irregular shape electrondense structures similar to myelin figures were observed but elongated mitochondria were not observed, and microtubules were scarce. Some dendrites also exhibited vacuole formation interrupting the continuity of cytoplasm and microtubules. Conclusion: Infection with rabies virus produced ultrastructural changes within dendrites of the cortical pyramidal neurons that apparently were not known. These results are consistent with previous findings using other techniques and experimental models where it has been shown dendritic pathology induced by infection with rabies.

Alterations of the giant pyramidal neurons (Betz cells) in brain cortex of rat offspring born from gestational diabetic dams: a morphometric study / Alteraciones de las neuronas piramidales gigantes de la corteza cerebral en crías de ratas nacidas de hembras con diabetes gestacional: un estudio morfométrico

A few studies reported the adverse effects of gestational diabetes on hippocampus and spinal cord of rat offspring. Giant pyramidal neurons are giant pyramidal neurons located in fifth layers of the gray matter in the primary motor cortex. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the effect of gestational diabetes on the giant pyramidal neurons and the thickness of internal pyramidal layer in the brain cortex of rat offspring. On day 1 of gestation, 10 Wistar rat dams were randomly allocated into two control and diabetic groups. Five animals in diabetic group received 40 mg/kg/BW of Streptozotocin (intraperitoneally) and control animals received normal saline. We randomly selected six offspring of every subject in both groups at day 28, 56 and 84. Rat offspring were scarified and then coronal sections were taken from the right brain cortex and sections were stained with Cresyl violet. The density of giant pyramidal neurons in brain cortex and thickness of internal pyramidal layer of brain cortex were evaluated. In P28, P56, P84 the Betz cells density of brain cortex were significantly reduced from 107.6±6.2, 131.6±4.6 and 143.5±4.0 in controls to 84.96±2.1, 109.8±7.3 and 121.05±5.6 in cases (p<0.05), respectively. The thickness of the internal pyramidal layer of brain cortex in P28, 56 and P84 was significantly higher in gestational diabetic group in comparison with the control group (p<0.05). This study showed that uncontrolled gestational diabetes reduces the giant pyramidal neurons density and internal pyramidal layer thickness in brain cortex of rat offspring.

Pocos estudios han informado de los efectos adversos de la diabetes gestacional sobre las células del hipocampo y médula espinal. Este estudio, se realizó para determinar el efecto de la diabetes gestacional sobre las neuronas piramidales gigantes ubicadas en la quinta capas de la sustancia gris en la corteza motora primaria y el espesor de la capa piramidal interna en la corteza cerebral en crías de ratas. En el día 1 de la gestación, 10 ratas Wistar se asignaron aleatoriamente en dos grupos: control y diabéticos. Cinco animales del grupo diabético, fueron inyectados con 40 mg/kg de peso corporal de estreptozotocina (por vía intraperitoneal), y los de el grupo control, con solución salina. Aleatoriamente, se seleccionaron seis crías de cada hembra de ambos grupos los días 28, 56 y 84. Las crías fueron sacrificadas, se tomaron secciones coronales de la corteza cerebral derecha y se tiñeron con violeta de cresilo. Se evaluó la densidad de las neuronas piramidales gigantes en la corteza cerebral y el espesor de la capa piramidal interna de la corteza cerebral. En los días 28, 56, 84 la densidad de las neuronas piramidales gigantes en corteza cerebral se redujo significativamente al comparar los controles (107,6±6,2, 131,6±4,6 y 143,5±4,0 respectivamente) con los casos (84,96±2,1, 109,8±7,3 y 121,05±5,6 respectivamente) (p<0,05). El espesor de la capa piramidal interna de la corteza cerebral en los días 28, 84 y 56 fue significativamente mayor en el grupo diabético gestacional en comparación con el grupo control (p<0,05). Este estudio muestra que la diabetes gestacional no controlada reduce la densidad de neuronas piramidales gigantesy el espesor interno de la capa piramidal en la corteza cerebral de las crías de rata.

Immunohistochemical overexpression of MAP-2 in the cerebral cortex of rabies-infected mice / Aumento en la expresión inmunohistoquímica de MAP-2 en la corteza cerebral de ratones infectados con rabia

The microtubule-associated protein MAP-2 is an integral part of the cytoskeleton and plays an important role in neural morphogenesis. This protein is an essential component of the dendritic cytoskeleton, especially in the adult brain, and its expression can be altered under experimental or pathological conditions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of infection with the rabies virus on MAP-2 immunoreactivity in the cerebral cortex of mice. The mice were inoculated with the rabies virus and the animals were sacrificed when the disease reached its advanced stage, together with uninfected animals of the same age. The brains were extracted after being previously perfusion-fixed with paraformaldehyde; coronal sections were obtained with a vibratome. The coronal sections were processed by immunohistochemistry to reveal the presence of the MAP-2 protein in neurons of the motor area of the cerebral cortex. Rabies-infected mice showed an increase in the immunoreactivity of the somata and apical dendrites in pyramidal neurons of the motor cortex. This is an unexpected result, as dendritic pathology has been previously demonstrated in rabies, and some studies on neurological disorders associate dendritic alterations with loss of expression of the MAP-2 protein. Therefore, whatever the alteration in the expression of this protein, decrease or increase, it could be causing a biochemical imbalance in the integrity and stability of the neuronal cytoskeleton.

La proteína asociada a microtúbulos MAP-2 es una parte integral del citoesqueleto y juega un papel importante en la morfogénesis neuronal. Esta proteína es un componente esencial del citoesqueleto de las dendritas, especialmente en el cerebro adulto, y su expresión puede ser alterada en condiciones experimentales o patológicas. El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar el efecto de la infección con el virus de la rabia sobre la inmunorreactividad de MAP-2 en la corteza cerebral de ratones. Ratones inoculados con el virus de la rabia fueron sacrificados cuando la enfermedad alcanzó su fase avanzada, junto con animales no infectados de la misma edad. Los cerebros se extrajeron después de que los animales fueron tratados con paraformaldehído mediante perfusión intracardiaca. En un vibrátomo se obtuvieron cortes coronales y estos se procesaron mediante inmunohistoquímica para revelar la presencia de la proteína MAP-2 en las neuronas de la zona motora de la corteza cerebral. Los ratones infectados con rabia mostraron un aumento en la inmunorreactividad de los somas y dendritas apicales en las neuronas piramidales de la corteza motora. Este es un resultado inesperado, ya que previamente se ha demostrado patología dendrítica en rabia, y algunos estudios sobre los trastornos neurológicos asocian las alteraciones dendríticas con pérdida de expresión de la proteína MAP-2. Por lo tanto, cualquiera que sea la alteración en la expresión de esta proteína, disminución o aumento, podría ser la causa de un desequilibrio bioquímico en la integridad y estabilidad del citoesqueleto neuronal.

Influence of intraventricular inj ection of 5,7-drhydroxytryptamine in 5-HT1A receptor sensitivity of pyramidal neurons in medial prefrontal cortex / 吉林大学学报(医学版)

Objective To explore the influence of intraventricular injection of 5, 7-drhydroxytryptamine (5, 7-DHT)in 5-HT1A receptor sensitivity of medial prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons in the rats,and to clarity the effect of 5-HT1A receptor on the eletronic response of pyramidal neurons.Methods 36 male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (n=21)and 5,7-DHT lesion group (n=15).5,7-DHT was injected intraventricularly in the rats in 5,7-DHT lesion group,and the same dose saline was injected in the rats in sham operation group.The rats in two groups were intravenously injected with different doses(0.5-128.0μg·kg-1 )of 8-CH-DPAT.The firing rate of mPFC pyramidal neurons was recorded with extracellular electrophysioological examination.The rats in two groups were intravenously injected with WAY100635,the sensitivites of the rats to 8-OH-DPAT and WAY100635 in 5, 7-DHT lesion group were observed, and compared with sham operation group.Results The different doses (0.5-128.0μg·L-1 )of 8-OH-DDAT had an excitatory-inhibitory effect on the firing rate of mPFC pyamidal neurons in sham operation group;the neurons were excited when the doses of 8-OH-DPAT were 0.5-38.0μg·kg-1 ,and the firing rates were increased(P<0.05);the neurons were inhibited when the dose of 8-OH-DPAT was 128.0μg·kg-1 ,and the firing rate was decreased.The different doses(0.5-218.0μg·L-1 )of 8-OH-DPAT inhibited the elecctronic response of pyramidal neurons of the rats in 5,7-DHT lesion group in a dose-dependent manner (df=5,F=3.44,P=0.003),and the firing rates were reduced. WAY-100635 (50μg·kg-1 )reversed completely the inhibition of 8-OH-DPAT.Conclusion The sensitivity of 5-HT1A receptor of rat mPFC pyramidal neurons can be decreased by intraventricular injection of 5,7-DHT.

Housing under the pyramid reduces susceptibility of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons to prenatal stress in the developing rat offspring.

Mother-offspring interaction begins before birth. The foetus is particularly vulnerable to environmental insults and stress. The body responds by releasing excess of the stress hormone cortisol, which acts on glucocorticoid receptors. Hippocampus in the brain is rich in glucocorticoid receptors and therefore susceptible to stress. The stress effects are reduced when the animals are placed under a model wooden pyramid. The present study was to first explore the effects of prenatal restraint-stress on the plasma corticosterone levels and the dendritic arborisation of CA3 pyramidal neurons in the hippocampus of the offspring. Further, to test whether the pyramid environment would alter these effects, as housing under a pyramid is known to reduce the stress effects, pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were restrained for 9 h per day from gestation day 7 until parturition in a wire-mesh restrainer. Plasma corticosterone levels were found to be significantly increased. In addition, there was a significant reduction in the apical and the basal total dendritic branching points and intersections of the CA3 hippocampal pyramidal neurons. The results thus suggest that, housing in the pyramid dramatically reduces prenatal stress effects in rats.

Quick Golgi method: Modified for high clarity and better neuronal anatomy.

The Golgi methods have long been used to study the neuronal soma, axons, dendritic arborization and spines. The major concerns of the Golgi method have been its unpredictable nature (inconsistency of impregnation of the stain), time consumed, tissue hardening and clear background, resulting in several modifications to improve the cellular visualization. In the present work we describe a modification of the rapid-Golgi method that takes the benefit of perfusion fixation (with rapid-Golgi solution) then post-fixation in the same fixative for 36 h followed by 36 h impregnation in aqueous AgNO3 followed by vibratomy. This modification is simpler, faster and inexpensive, provides a consistent staining of neurons with good resolution of neuronal soma, dendritic arborization as well as spines with much reduced formation of silver chromate crystals and background in just 3 days.

Retracción a largo plazo del árbol dendrítico de neuronas piramidales córtico-faciales por lesiones periféricas del nervio facial / Peripheral facial nerve lesion induced long-term dendritic retraction in pyramidal cortico-facial neurons

Introducción. Poco se sabe sobre las modificaciones morfológicas de las neuronas de la corteza motora tras lesiones en nervios periféricos, y de la implicancia de dichos cambios en la recuperación funcional tras la lesión. Objetivo. Caracterizar en ratas el efecto de la lesión del nervio facial sobre la morfología de las neuronas piramidales de la capa V de la corteza motora primaria contralateral. Materiales y métodos. Se reconstruyeron neuronas piramidales teñidas con la técnica de Golgi-Cox, de animales control (sin lesión) y animales con lesiones y sacrificados a distintos tiempos luego de la lesión. Se utilizaron cuatro grupos: sham (control), lesión 1S, lesión 3S y lesión 5S (animales con lesiones y evaluados 1, 3 y 5 semanas después de la lesión irreversible del nervio facial, respectivamente). Se evaluaron mediante el análisis de Sholl, las ramificaciones dendríticas de las células piramidales de la corteza motora contralateral a la lesión. Resultados. Los animales con lesiones presentaron parálisis completa de las vibrisas mayores durante las cinco semanas de observación. Comparadas con neuronas de animales sin lesiones, las células piramidales córtico-faciales de los lesionados mostraron una disminución significativa de sus ramificaciones dendríticas. Esta disminución se mantuvo hasta cinco semanas después de la lesión. Conclusiones. Las lesiones irreversibles de los axones de las motoneuronas del núcleo facial, provocan una retracción sostenida del árbol dendrítico en las neuronas piramidales córtico-faciales. Esta reorganización morfológica cortical persistente podría ser el sustrato fisiopatológico de algunas de las secuelas funcionales que se observan en los pacientes con parálisis facial periférica.

Introduction. Little evidence is available concerning the morphological modifications of motor cortex neurons associated with peripheral nerve injuries, and the consequences of those injuries on post lesion functional recovery. Objective. Dendritic branching of cortico-facial neurons was characterized with respect to the effects of irreversible facial nerve injury. Materials and methods. Twenty-four adult male rats were distributed into four groups: sham (no lesion surgery), and dendritic assessment at 1, 3 and 5 weeks post surgery. Eighteen lesion animals underwent surgical transection of the mandibular and buccal branches of the facial nerve. Dendritic branching was examined by contralateral primary motor cortex slices stained with the Golgi-Cox technique. Layer V pyramidal (cortico-facial) neurons from sham and injured animals were reconstructed and their dendritic branching was compared using Sholl analysis. Results. Animals with facial nerve lesions displayed persistent vibrissal paralysis throughout the fiveweek observation period. Compared with control animal neurons, cortico-facial pyramidal neurons of surgically injured animals displayed shrinkage of their dendritic branches at statistically significant levels. This shrinkage persisted for at least five weeks after facial nerve injury. Discussion. Irreversible facial motoneuron axonal damage induced persistent dendritic arborization shrinkage in contralateral cortico-facial neurons. This morphological reorganization may be the physiological basis of functional sequelae observed in peripheral facial palsy patients.

Effects of Enriched Rehabilitative Training on the Functional Recovery and Neuronal Dentritic Growth Following Cerebral Ischemia/Reperfusion in Rats / 中国康复理论与实践

@#ObjectiveTo study the effect of enriched rehabilitative training on the functional recovery and neuronal dentritic growth following cerebral ischemia/reperfusion.Methods32 male Wistar rats,weighting 180～200 g,were randomly divided into a ischemic group(n=16) and a sham-operation group(n=16) after beforehand trainings.Rats were subjected to 2 h of right middle cerebral artery occlusion before reperfusion.After surgery,the ischemic group were randomly divided into a ischemia + enrichment(IE) group and a ischemia + standard housing(IS) group;the sham-operation group were randomly divided into a sham + enrichment(SE) group and a sham + standard housing(SS) group.After 24 h reperfusion,IE and SE groups were housed in enriched cages,and given enriched rehabilitative training according to the scheme.At the same time,IS and SS groups were housed in standard cages without any training.The functions of 4 groups were evaluated at 24 h,1 week,2 weeks,3 weeks and 4 week after operation.Dentritic growth of layer V pyramidal cells of the undamaged forelimb motor cortex was examined using Golgi-Cox procedure.ResultsIE group showed better function than IS group in all behavioral test.There was no significant difference in limb-placement test at 3 weeks(P>0.05) and in footfault test at 4 weeks(P>0.05) after operation between IE and SE group.The mean of basilar dentrite branching points in IE group was significantly greater than that of other groups(P<0.01).ConclusionEnriched rehabilitative training can promote functional recovery and enhance neural plasticity after cerebral ischemia/ reperfusion in rats.