Perturbed neural activity disrupts cerebral angiogenesis during a postnatal critical period.

During the neonatal period, activity-dependent neural-circuit remodelling coincides with growth and refinement of the cerebral microvasculature. Whether neural activity also influences the patterning of the vascular bed is not known. Here we show in neonatal mice, that neither reduction of sensory input through whisker trimming nor moderately increased activity by environmental enrichment affects cortical microvascular development. Unexpectedly, chronic stimulation by repetitive sounds, whisker deflection or motor activity led to a near arrest of angiogenesis in barrel, auditory and motor cortices, respectively. Chemically induced seizures also caused robust reductions in microvascular density. However, altering neural activity in adult mice did not affect the vasculature. Histological analysis and time-lapse in vivo two-photon microscopy revealed that hyperactivity did not lead to cell death or pruning of existing vessels but rather to reduced endothelial proliferation and vessel sprouting. This anti-angiogenic effect was prevented by administration of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitor L-NAME and in mice with neuronal and inducible NOS deficiency, suggesting that excessive nitric oxide released from hyperactive interneurons and glia inhibited vessel growth. Vascular deficits persisted long after cessation of hyperstimulation, providing evidence for a critical period after which proper microvascular patterning cannot be re-established. Reduced microvascular density diminished the ability of the brain to compensate for hypoxic challenges, leading to dendritic spine loss in regions distant from capillaries. Therefore, excessive sensorimotor stimulation and repetitive neural activation during early childhood may cause lifelong deficits in microvascular reserve, which could have important consequences for brain development, function and pathology.

Contacts between the endoplasmic reticulum and other membranes in neurons.

Close appositions between the membrane of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and other intracellular membranes have important functions in cell physiology. These include lipid homeostasis, regulation of Ca2+ dynamics, and control of organelle biogenesis and dynamics. Although these membrane contacts have previously been observed in neurons, their distribution and abundance have not been systematically analyzed. Here, we have used focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy to generate 3D reconstructions of intracellular organelles and their membrane appositions involving the ER (distance ≤30 nm) in different neuronal compartments. ER-plasma membrane (PM) contacts were particularly abundant in cell bodies, with large, flat ER cisternae apposed to the PM, sometimes with a notably narrow lumen (thin ER). Smaller ER-PM contacts occurred throughout dendrites, axons, and in axon terminals. ER contacts with mitochondria were abundant in all compartments, with the ER often forming a network that embraced mitochondria. Small focal contacts were also observed with tubulovesicular structures, likely to be endosomes, and with sparse multivesicular bodies and lysosomes found in our reconstructions. Our study provides an anatomical reference for interpreting information about interorganelle communication in neurons emerging from functional and biochemical studies.

Hyperpolarization-Activated Currents and Subthreshold Resonance in Granule Cells of the Olfactory Bulb.

An important contribution to neural circuit oscillatory dynamics is the ongoing activation and inactivation of hyperpolarization-activated currents (Ih). Network synchrony dynamics play an important role in the initial processing of odor signals by the main olfactory bulb (MOB) and accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). In the mouse olfactory bulb, we show that Ih is present in granule cells (GCs), the most prominent inhibitory neuron in the olfactory bulb, and that Ih underlies subthreshold resonance in GCs. In accord with the properties of Ih, the currents exhibited sensitivity to changes in extracellular K+ concentration and ZD7288 (4-ethylphenylamino-1,2-dimethyl-6-methylaminopyrimidin chloride), a blocker of Ih. ZD7288 also caused GCs to hyperpolarize and increase their input resistance, suggesting that Ih is active at rest in GCs. The inclusion of cAMP in the intracellular solution shifted the activation of Ih to less negative potentials in the MOB, but not in the AOB, suggesting that channels with different subunit composition mediate Ih in these regions. Furthermore, we show that mature GCs exhibit Ih-dependent subthreshold resonance in the theta frequency range (4-12 Hz). Another inhibitory subtype in the MOB, the periglomerular cells, exhibited Ih-dependent subthreshold resonance in the delta range (1-4 Hz), while principal neurons, the mitral cells, do not exhibit Ih-dependent subthreshold resonance. Importantly, Ih size, as well as the strength and frequency of resonance in GCs, exhibited a postnatal developmental progression, suggesting that this development of Ih in GCs may differentially contribute to their integration of sensory input and contribution to oscillatory circuit dynamics.

In vivo imaging of cerebral microvascular plasticity from birth to death.

Cerebral function and viability are critically dependent on efficient delivery of oxygen and glucose through the microvasculature. Here, we studied individual microvessels in the intact brain using high-resolution confocal imaging and long-term time-lapse two-photon microscopy across the lifetime of a mouse. In the first postnatal month, we found large-scale sprouting but to our surprise the majority of sprouts underwent pruning and only a small fraction became perfused capillaries. After the first month, microvessel formation and elimination decreased and the net number of vessels stabilized. Although vascular stability was the hallmark of the adult brain, some vessel formation and elimination continued throughout life. In young adult mice, vessel formation was markedly increased after exposure to hypoxia; however, upon return to normoxia, no vessel elimination was observed, suggesting that new vessels constitute a long-term adaptive response to metabolic challenges. This plasticity was markedly reduced in older adults and aging where hypoxia-induced angiogenesis was absent. Our study describes, for the first time in vivo patterns of cerebral microvascular remodeling throughout life. Disruption of the observed balance between baseline turnover and vascular stability may underlie a variety of developmental and age-related degenerative neurological disorders.