Hypoxia-ischemia in the immature rodent brain impairs serotonergic neuronal function in certain dorsal raphé nuclei.

Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) results in losses of serotonergic neurons in specific dorsal raphé nuclei. However, not all serotonergic raphé neurons are lost and it is therefore important to assess the function of remaining neurons in order to understand their potential to contribute to neurological disorders in the HI-affected neonate. The main objective of this study was to determine how serotonergic neurons, remaining in the dorsal raphé nuclei after neonatal HI, respond to an external stimulus (restraint stress). On postnatal day 3 (P3), male rat pups were randomly allocated to one of the following groups: (i) control + no restraint (n = 5), (ii) control + restraint (n = 6), (iii) P3 HI + no restraint (n = 5) or (iv) P3 HI + restraint (n = 7). In the two HI groups, rat pups underwent surgery to ligate the common carotid artery and were then exposed to 6% O2 for 30 minutes. Six weeks after P3 HI, on P45, rats were subjected to restraint stress for 30 minutes. Using dual immunolabeling for Fos protein, a marker for neuronal activity, and serotonin (5-hydroxytrypamine; 5-HT), numbers of Fos-positive 5-HT neurons were determined in five dorsal raphé nuclei. We found that restraint stress alone increased numbers of Fos-positive 5-HT neurons in all five dorsal raphé nuclei compared to control animals. However, following P3 HI, the number of stress-induced Fos-positive 5-HT neurons was decreased significantly in the dorsal raphé ventrolateral, interfascicular and ventral nuclei compared with control animals exposed to restraint stress. In contrast, numbers of stress-induced Fos-positive 5-HT neurons in the dorsal raphé dorsal and caudal nuclei were not affected by P3 HI. These data indicate that not only are dorsal raphé serotonergic neurons lost after neonatal HI, but also remaining dorsal raphé serotonergic neurons have reduced differential functional viability in response to an external stimulus. Procedures were approved by the University of Queensland Animal Ethics Committee (UQCCR958/08/NHMRC) on February 27, 2009.

Disruption to the 5-HT7 Receptor Following Hypoxia-Ischemia in the Immature Rodent Brain.

It has become increasingly evident the serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) system is an important central neuronal network disrupted following neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) insults. Serotonin acts via a variety of receptor subtypes that are differentially associated with behavioural and cognitive mechanisms. The 5-HT7 receptor is purported to play a key role in epilepsy, anxiety, learning and memory and neuropsychiatric disorders. Furthermore, the 5-HT7 receptor is highly localized in brain regions damaged following neonatal HI insults. Utilising our well-established neonatal HI model in the postnatal day 3 (P3) rat pup we demonstrated a significant decrease in levels of the 5-HT7 protein in the frontal cortex, thalamus and brainstem one week after insult. We also observed a relative decrease in both the cytosolic and membrane fractions of 5-HT7. The 5-HT7 receptor was detected on neurons throughout the cortex and thalamus, and 5-HT cell bodies in the brainstem. However we found no evidence of 5-HT7 co-localisation on microglia or astrocytes. Moreover, minocycline treatment did not significantly prevent the HI-induced reductions in 5-HT7. In conclusion, neonatal HI injury caused significant disruption to 5-HT7 receptors in the forebrain and brainstem. Yet the use of minocycline to inhibit activated microglia, did not prevent the HI-induced changes in 5-HT7 expression.

Post-insult ibuprofen treatment attenuates damage to the serotonergic system after hypoxia-ischemia in the immature rat brain.

There is currently no therapeutic intervention to stem neonatal brain injury after exposure to hypoxia-ischemia (HI). Potential neuroprotective treatments that can be delivered postinsult that target neuroinflammation and are safe to use in neonates are attractive. One candidate is ibuprofen. Ibuprofen is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug that inhibits cyclooxygenase enzymes and is used in neonates to treat patent ductus arteriosus. We investigated whether ibuprofen can inhibit neuroinflammation and attenuate neuronal damage manifested in a rodent model of preterm HI. Postnatal day 3 (P3) rat pups were subjected to HI (right carotid artery ligation, 30 minutes 6% O2). Ibuprofen was then administered daily for 1 week (100 mg/kg P3 2 hours after HI, 50 mg/kg P4-P9; subcutaneously). Ibuprofen treatment prevented the P3 HI-induced reductions in brain serotonin levels, serotonin transporter expression, and numbers of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphé nuclei on P10. Ibuprofen also significantly attenuated P3 HI-induced increases in brain cyclooxygenase 2 protein expression, interleukin-1ß, and tumor necrosis factor levels, as well as the increase in numbers of activated microglia. Thus, ibuprofen administered after an HI insult may be an effective pharmacologic intervention to reduce HI-induced neuronal brain injury in the preterm neonate by limiting the effects of neuroinflammatory mediators.

Disruption of raphé serotonergic neural projections to the cortex: a potential pathway contributing to remote loss of brainstem neurons following neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.

Neuronal injury is a key feature of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) brain injury. However, the mechanisms underpinning neuronal losses, such as in the brainstem, are poorly understood. One possibility is that disrupted neural connections between the cortex and brainstem may compromise the survival of neuronal cell bodies in the brainstem. We investigated whether brainstem raphé serotonergic neurons that project to the cortex are lost after HI. We also tested if neuroinflammation has a role in disrupting brainstem raphé projections. Postnatal day 3 (P3) rats underwent unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by hypoxia (6% oxygen for 30 min). A retrograde tracer, choleratoxin b, was deposited in the motor cortex on P38. On P45 we found that retrogradely labelled neurons in the dorsal raphé dorsal, ventrolateral, interfascicular, caudal and ventral nuclei were lost after P3 HI. All retrogradely labelled neurons in the raphé nuclei were serotonergic. Numbers of retrogradely labelled neurons were also reduced in the ventromedial thalamus and basolateral amygdala. Minocycline treatment (45 mg/kg 2 h post-HI, 22.5 mg/kg daily P4-P9) attenuated losses of retrogradely labelled neurons in the dorsal raphé ventrolateral, interfascicular and ventral raphé nuclei, and the ventromedial thalamus. These results indicate that raphé neurons projecting to the cortex constitute a population of serotonergic neurons that are lost after P3 HI. Furthermore, neuroinflammation has a role in the disruption of raphé and thalamic neural projections. Future studies investigating the cellular mechanisms of axonal degeneration may reveal new targets for interventions to prevent neuronal losses after neonatal HI.

Evidence that the serotonin transporter does not shift into the cytosol of remaining neurons after neonatal brain injury.

Following neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) levels are decreased in the brain. The regulation of brain 5-HT is dependent on the serotonin transporter (SERT) localised at the neuronal pre-synaptic cell membrane. However SERT can also traffic away from the cell membrane into the cytosol and, after injury, may contribute to the cell's inability to maintain 5-HT levels. Whether this occurs after neonatal HI brain injury is not known. In addition, there is contradictory evidence that glial cells may also contribute to the clearance of 5-HT in the brain. Using a postnatal day 3 (P3) HI rat pup model (right carotid ligation+30 min 6% O(2)), we found, in both control and P3 HI animals, that SERT is retained on the cell membrane and is not internalised in the cytosol. In addition, SERT was only detected on neurons. We found no evidence of SERT co-localisation on microglia or astrocytes. We conclude that neuronal SERT is the primary regulator of synaptic 5-HT availability in the intact and P3 HI-injured neonatal brain. Furthermore, since concomitant reductions in 5-HT, SERT and serotonergic neurons occur after neonatal HI, it is plausible that the decrease in brain 5-HT is a consequence of SERT being lost as neurons degenerate as opposed to remaining neurons internalising SERT or clearance by glial cells.

Disruption of the serotonergic system after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia in a rodent model.

Identifying which specific neuronal phenotypes are vulnerable to neonatal hypoxia-ischemia, where in the brain they are damaged, and the mechanisms that produce neuronal losses are critical to determine the anatomical substrates responsible for neurological impairments in hypoxic-ischemic brain-injured neonates. Here we describe our current work investigating how the serotonergic network in the brain is disrupted in a rodent model of preterm hypoxia-ischemia. One week after postnatal day 3 hypoxia-ischemia, losses of serotonergic raphé neurons, reductions in serotonin levels in the brain, and reduced serotonin transporter expression are evident. These changes can be prevented using two anti-inflammatory interventions; the postinsult administration of minocycline or ibuprofen. However, each drug has its own limitations and benefits for use in neonates to stem damage to the serotonergic network after hypoxia-ischemia. By understanding the fundamental mechanisms underpinning hypoxia-ischemia-induced serotonergic damage we will hopefully move closer to developing a successful clinical intervention to treat neonatal brain injury.

Anxiety and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis responses to psychological stress are attenuated in male rats made lean by large litter rearing.

An excellent strategy to treat overactive responses to stress is to exploit the body's inherent stress-inhibitory mechanisms. Stress responses are known to differ between individuals depending upon their level and distribution of adiposity and their experiences in early life. For instance, we have recently shown that female rats made obese by overfeeding during the neonatal period have exacerbated responses to psychological stress. The converse may be true for those that are underfed during this period. In this investigation we hypothesized that rats made lean by neonatal underfeeding would have reduced anxiety and attenuated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses to psychological stress. Our findings show that male (but not female) rats, made smaller by being suckled in a large litter, show reduced anxiety-related behaviour compared with those from normal litters when tested in the elevated plus maze. These smaller males also have attenuated activation of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus in response to the psychological stress, restraint, and corticosterone responses to restraint that return more quickly to baseline than controls. These findings are exciting from the perspective of understanding and potentially exploiting the body's inherent stress-inhibitory mechanisms to treat overactive responses to stress. They also provide an indication that being lean may be able to ameliorate overactive stress responses. Understanding the mechanisms by which these stress responses are attenuated in lean animals will be important for future strategies to treat diseases associated with overactive HPA axes in humans.

Inhibition of neuroinflammation prevents injury to the serotonergic network after hypoxia-ischemia in the immature rat brain.

The phenotypic identities and characterization of neural networks disrupted after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) in the preterm brain remain to be elucidated. Interruption of the central serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) system can lead to numerous functional deficits, many of which match those in human preterm neonates exposed to HI. How the central serotonergic network is damaged after HI and mechanisms underlying such injury are not known. We used a Postnatal Day 3 rat model of preterm HI and found parallel reductions in the 5-HT transporter expression, 5-HT levels and numbers of 5-HT-positive dorsal raphe neurons 1 week after insult. Post-HI administration of minocycline, an inhibitor of activated microglia, attenuated HI-induced damage to the serotonergic network. Minocycline effects seemed to be region specific, that is, where there was micro-glial activation and increases in tumor necrosis factor-α and inter-leukin 1ß. The concurrent improvement in serotonergic outcomes suggests that inhibition of neuroinflammation prevented damage to the serotonergic neurons rather than affected the regulation of 5-HT or serotonin transporter. These data elucidate the mechanisms of serotonergic network injury in HI, and despite the known adverse effects associated with the use of minocycline in neonates, postinsult administration of minocycline may represent a novel approach to counter neuroinflammation and preserve the integrity of the central serotonergic network in the preterm neonate.

Differential effects of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury on brainstem serotonergic raphe nuclei.

Serotonergic fibres have a pervasive innervation of hypoxic-ischemic (HI)-affected areas in the neonatal brain and serotonin (5-HT) is pivotal in numerous neurobehaviours that match many HI-induced deficits. However, little is known about how neonatal HI affects the serotonergic system. We therefore examined whether neonatal HI can alter numbers of serotonergic raphe neurons in specific sub-divisions of the midbrain and brainstem since these nuclei are the primary sources of serotonin throughout the central nervous system (CNS). We utilised an established neonatal HI model in the postnatal day 3 (P3) rat pup (right common carotid artery ligation+30min 6% O2) and determined the effects of P3 HI on 5-HT counts in 5 raphe sub-divisions in the midbrain and brainstem one and six weeks later. After P3 HI, numbers of 5-HT-positive neurons were significantly decreased in the dorsal raphe dorsal, dorsal raphe ventrolateral and dorsal raphe caudal nuclei on P10 but only in the dorsal raphe dorsal and dorsal raphe ventrolateral nuclei on P45. In contrast, P3 HI did not alter counts in the dorsal raphe interfascicular and raphe magnus nuclei. We also discovered that P3 HI significantly reduces brainstem SERT protein expression; the key regulator of 5-HT in the CNS. In conclusion, neonatal HI injury caused significant disruption of the brainstem serotonergic system that can persist for up to six weeks after the insult. The different vulnerabilities of serotonergic populations in specific raphe nuclei suggest that certain raphe nuclei may underpin neurological deficits in HI-affected neonates through to adulthood.

Chronic stress alters the density and morphology of microglia in a subset of stress-responsive brain regions.

The current study, in parallel experiments, evaluated the impact of chronic psychological stress on physiological and behavioural measures, and on the activation status of microglia in 15 stress-responsive brain regions. Rats were subjected, for 14 days, to two 30 min sessions of restraint per day, applied at random times each day. In one experiment the effects of stress on sucrose preference, weight gain, core body temperature, and struggling behaviour during restraint, were determined. In the second experiment we used immunohistochemistry to investigate stress-induced changes in ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule-1 (Iba1), a marker constitutively expressed by microglia, and major histocompatibility complex-II (MHC-II), a marker often expressed on activated microglia, in a total of 15 stress-responsive nuclei. We also investigated cellular proliferation in these regions using Ki67 immunolabelling, to check for the possibility of microglial proliferation. Collectively, the results we obtained showed that chronic stress induced a significant increase in anhedonia, a decrease in weight gain across the entire observation period, a significant elevation in core body temperature during restraint, and a progressive decrease in struggling behaviour within and over sessions. With regard to microglial activation, chronic stress induced a significant increase in the density of Iba1 immunolabelling (nine of 15 regions) and the number of Iba1-positive cells (eight of 15 regions). Within the regions that exhibited an increased number of Iba1-positive cells after chronic stress, we found no evidence of a between group difference in the number of MHC-II or Ki67 positive cells. In summary, these results clearly demonstrate that chronic stress selectively increases the number of microglia in certain stress-sensitive brain regions, and also causes a marked transition of microglia from a ramified-resting state to a non-resting state. These findings are consistent with the view that microglial activation could play an important role in controlling and/or adapting to stress.

Long-term losses of amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor neurons are associated with behavioural outcomes following neonatal hypoxia-ischemia.

Neuronal losses are observed in the brain after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) however few studies have examined the effects of HI on specific neuronal phenotypes and their possible contribution to behavioural outcomes. In the present study we examined whether postnatal day 3 (P3) HI alters numbers of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and neuropeptide-Y (NPY) neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and the amygdala, 1 (P10) and 6 (P45) weeks after P3 HI. A significant reduction in the number of CRF-positive neurons in the PVN, central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and BNST ipsilateral to the carotid ligation 1 and 6 weeks after P3 HI was observed. There was also a significant reduction in the number of NPY-positive neurons in the PVN, amygdala and BNST ipsilateral to the carotid ligation 1 week after P3 HI. However after 6 weeks, only the number of PVN NPY-positive neurons decreased significantly. At 6 weeks post-insult, the number of CeA CRF-positive neurons was inversely associated with locomotor activity and exploratory behaviour in an open field. In contrast, no significant correlations between neuronal counts and early neurodevelopment tests performed on P10 were observed. Thus after P3 HI persistent losses of CRF- and NPY-positive neurons occur and the loss of CeA CRF neurons may provide a central anatomical mechanism underlying neurobehavioural deficits observed 6 weeks after P3 HI.

Delayed P2X4R expression after hypoxia-ischemia is associated with microglia in the immature rat brain.

In a preterm hypoxia-ischemia model in the post-natal day 3 rat, we characterized how the expression of purine ionotropic P2X(4) receptors change in the brain post-insult. After hypoxia-ischemia, P2X(4) receptor expression increased significantly and was associated with a late increase in ionised calcium binding adapter molecule-1 protein expression indicative of microglia cell activation. Minocycline, a potent inhibitor of microglia, attenuated the hypoxia-ischemia-induced increase in P2X(4) receptor expression. We postulate that P2X(4) receptor-positive microglia may represent a population of secondary injury-induced activated microglia. Future studies will determine whether this population contributes to the progression of injury in the immature brain.

Minocycline: a neuroprotective agent for hypoxic-ischemic brain injury in the neonate?

Minocycline is a second-generation tetracycline and a potential neuroprotective intervention following brain injury. However, despite the recognized beneficial effects of minocycline in a multitude of adult disease states, the clinical application of minocycline in neonates is contentious. Tetracyclines, as a class, are not usually administered to neonates, but there is compelling evidence that minocycline reduces brain injury after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. This Review focuses on the evidence for minocycline use in neonates by considering aspects of pharmacology, drug regimens, functional outcomes, and mechanisms of action.

Post-insult minocycline treatment attenuates hypoxia-ischemia-induced neuroinflammation and white matter injury in the neonatal rat: a comparison of two different dose regimens.

An increase in the number of activated microglia in the brain is a key feature of neuroinflammation after a hypoxic-ischemic insult to the preterm neonate and can contribute to white matter injury in the brain. Minocycline is a potent inhibitor of microglia and may have a role as a neuroprotective agent that ameliorates brain injury after hypoxia-ischemia in neonatal animal models. However to date large doses, pre-insult administration and short periods of treatment after hypoxia-ischemia have mostly been investigated in animal models making it difficult to translate minocycline's potential applicability to protect the human preterm neonatal brain exposed to hypoxia-ischemia. We investigated whether repeated doses of minocycline can minimize white matter injury and neuroinflammation one week after hypoxia-ischemia (right carotid artery ligation and 30 min 6% O(2)) in the post-natal day 3 rat pup. Two dosage regimens of minocycline were administered for one week; a high dose of 45 mg/kg 2h after hypoxia-ischemia then 22.5 mg/kg daily or a low dose 22.5 mg/kg 2h after hypoxia-ischemia then 10 mg/kg. Post-natal day 3 hypoxia-ischemia significantly reduced myelin content, numbers of O1- and O4-positive oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and increased activated microglia one week later on post-natal day 10. The low dose minocycline regimen was as effective as the high dose in ameliorating neuroinflammation after post-natal day 3 hypoxia-ischemia. However only the high dose regimen significantly attenuated reductions in O1- and O4-positive oligodendrocyte progenitor cells and myelin content. The low dose only significantly attenuated the reduction in O1-positive oligodendrocyte cell counts. Repeated, daily, post-insult treatment with minocycline abolished neuroinflammation and may provide neuroprotection to white matter for up to one week after hypoxia-ischemia in a rodent preterm model. The present findings suggest the potential clinical relevance of a repeated, daily minocycline treatment strategy, administered after a hypoxia-ischemia insult, as a therapeutic intervention for hypoxia-ischemia-affected preterm neonates.

Selective losses of brainstem catecholamine neurons after hypoxia-ischemia in the immature rat pup.

Hypoxic-ischemic (HI) injury in the preterm neonate incurs numerous functional deficits, however little is known about the neurochemically-defined brain nuclei that may underpin them. Key candidates are the brainstem catecholamine neurons. Using an immature animal model, the postnatal day (P)-3 (P3) rat pup, we investigated the effects of HI on brainstem catecholamine neurons in the locus coeruleus, nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), and ventrolateral medulla (VLM). On P21, we found that prior P3 HI significantly reduced numbers of catecholaminergic neurons in the locus coeruleus, NTS, and VLM. Only locus coeruleus A6, NTS A2, and VLM A1 noradrenergic neurons, but not NTS C2 and VLM C1 adrenergic neurons, were lost. There was also an associated reduction in dopamine-beta-hydroxylase-positive immunolabeling in the forebrain. These findings suggest neonatal HI can affect specific neurochemically-defined neuronal populations in the brainstem and that noradrenergic neurons are particularly vulnerable to HI injury.

Systemic blockade of complement C5a receptors reduces lipopolysacharride-induced responses in the paraventricular nucleus and the central amygdala.

The complement anaphylatoxin C5a is a potent mediator of the innate immune response to infection. Recent evidence also reveals that C5a contributes to central nervous system effects in addition to its well-known peripheral functions. However, it is not known if C5a has a role in the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis; a critical cascade that exemplifies neuroimmune interactions between the periphery and the brain. In the present study we examined if systemic pre-treatment with a C5a receptor antagonist, PMX53, can affect lipopolysaccharide-induced (LPS; 1 mg/kg, i.p.) activation of the HPA axis in the rat. Using Fos protein as a marker of neuronal activation, we found that systemic administration of PMX53 reduced the LPS-induced activation of paraventricular corticotropin-releasing factor (PVN CRF) and central amygdala cells. However, PMX53 did not alter LPS-induced responses in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, nucleus tractus solitarius and ventrolateral medulla. Our findings demonstrate that C5a may have a role in the activation of the HPA axis in response to systemic LPS.

Therapeutic activity of C5a receptor antagonists in a rat model of neurodegeneration.

The complement system is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of numerous neurological diseases, although its precise role remains controversial. In this study we used orally active C5a receptor antagonists (PMX53 and PMX205) developed in our laboratories in a rat model of 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) -induced Huntington's disease. Administration of the C5a antagonists (10 mg/kg/day, oral) either 48 h pre- or 48 h post-toxin significantly reduced body weight loss, anorexia, and behavioral and motor deficits associated with 3-NP intoxication. Striatal lesion size, apoptosis, neutrophil infiltration, and hemorrhage were also significantly reduced in C5a antagonist-treated rats. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated marked deposition of C3 and C9, and up-regulation of C5a receptors on neuronal cells at the time of lesion formation. Inhibition of prostaglandins or TNF-alpha with ibuprofen or infliximab had no effect in this model. The C5a antagonists did not affect 3-NP-induced cell death when added directly to rat striatal neuronal cultures, indicating a secondary mechanism of action in vivo. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that complement activation in the brain, particularly C5a, is a key event in the pathogenesis of this disease model, and suggest a future role for inhibitors of C5a in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Patterns of neuronal activation in the rat brain and spinal cord in response to increasing durations of restraint stress.

By most accounts the psychological stressor restraint produces a distinct pattern of neuronal activation in the brain. However, some evidence is incongruous with this pattern, leading us to propose that the restraint-induced pattern in the central nervous system might depend on the duration of restraint used. We therefore determined the pattern of neuronal activation (as indicated by the presence of Fos protein) seen in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, amygdala, locus coeruleus, nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS), ventrolateral medulla (VLM) and thoracic spinal cord of the rat in response to 0, 15, 30 or 60 min periods of restraint. We found that although a number of cell groups displayed a linear increase in activity with increasing durations of restraint (e.g. hypothalamic corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) cells, medial amygdala neurons and sympathetic preganglionic neurons of the thoracic spinal cord), a number of cell groups did not. For example, in the central amygdala restraint produced both a decrease in CRF cell activity and an increase in non-CRF cell activity. In the locus coeruleus, noradrenergic neurons did not display Fos in response to 15 min of restraint, but were significantly activated by 30 or 60 min restraint. After 30 or 60 min restraint a greater degree of activation of more rostral A1 noradrenergic neurons was observed compared with the pattern of A1 noradrenergic neurons in response to 15 min restraint. The results of this study demonstrate that restraint stress duration determines the amount and the pattern of neuronal activation seen in response to this psychological stressor.

Medial prefrontal cortex control of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus response to psychological stress: possible role of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis.

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been strongly implicated in control of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) response to stress. Because of the paucity of direct projections from the mPFC to the PVN, we sought to investigate possible brain regions that might act as a relay between the two during psychological stress. Bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the rat mPFC enhanced the number of Fos-immunoreactive cells seen in the PVN after exposure to the psychological stressor, air puff. Altered neuronal recruitment was seen in only one of the candidate relay populations examined, the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST). Furthermore, bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the BNST caused a significant attenuation of the PVN response to air puff. To better characterize the structural relationships between the mPFC and PVN, retrograde tracing studies were conducted examining Fos expression in cells retrogradely labeled with cholera toxin b subunit (CTb) from the PVN and the BNST. Results obtained were consistent with an important role for both the mPFC and BNST in the mpPVN CRF cell response to air puff. We suggest a set of connections whereby a direct PVN projection from the ipsilateral vBNST is involved in the mpPVN response to air puff and this may, in turn, be modulated by an indirect projection from the mPFC to the BNST.

Hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus neurons regulate medullary catecholamine cell responses to restraint stress.

Both physical and psychological stressors recruit catecholamine cells (CA) located in the ventrolateral medulla (VLM) and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS). In the case of physical stressors, this effect is initiated by signals that first access the central nervous system at or below the level of the medulla. For psychological stressors, however, CA cell recruitment depends on higher structures within the neuraxis. Indeed, we have recently provided evidence of a pivotal role for the medial amygdala (MeA) in this regard, although such a role must involve a relay, as MeA neurons do not project directly to the medulla. However, some of the MeA neurons that respond to psychological stress have been found to project to the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), a structure that provides significant input to the medulla. To determine whether the PVN might regulate medullary CA cell responses to psychological stress, animals were prepared with unilateral injections of the neurotoxin ibotenic acid into the PVN (Experiment 1), or with unilateral injections of the retrograde tracer wheat germ agglutinin-gold (WGA-Au) into the CA cell columns of the VLM or NTS (Experiment 2). Seven days later, animals were subjected to a psychological stressor (restraint; 15 minutes), and their brains were subsequently processed for Fos plus appropriate cytoplasmic markers (Experiment 1), or Fos plus WGA-Au (Experiment 2). PVN lesions significantly suppressed the stress-related induction of Fos in both VLM and NTS CA cells, whereas tracer deposits in the VLM or NTS retrogradely labeled substantial numbers of PVN cells that were also Fos-positive after stress. Considered in concert with previous results, these data suggest that the activation of medullary CA cells in response to psychological stress may involve a critical input from the PVN.