电针及刺激大鼠下丘脑室周核、弓状核对中缝大核神经元放电的影响

清醒箭毒化雄性大鼠在人工呼吸维持下,观察电针对中缝大核(NRM)的效应。实验显示电针可使 NRM 单个神经元放电增加。且此效应可被静脉注射纳洛酮完全阻断,表明它是通过内源性鸦片样物质(OLS)作用于鸦片受体而实现的。进一步电刺激 OLS 二系统中与镇痛有关的核团:下丘脑室周核(HPV:富有脑啡肽能神经元的部位)和弓状核(AR:β-内啡肽能神经元集中之处),发现分别电刺激单侧 HPV 和 AR 对 NRM 神经元亦起兴奋作用,与电针效应的幅度、形式和时程基本一致。静脉注射纳洛酮不仅能阻断电针对 NRM 的效应,且使 NRM 神经元自发放电率降低,说明“正常情况下”脑内 OLS 系统即对 NRM 具有紧张性激活作用。     

家兔延髓腹侧防御反应相关神经元

实验在25只乌拉坦(700m/kg)、氯醛糖(35mg/kg)麻醉,肌肉麻痹,人工呼吸的家兔上进行。第一组16只家兔中,单或双脉冲刺激下丘脑和中脑防御反应区,在延髓腹侧记录刺激所兴奋的单位。大部分单位分布于网状巨细胞核腹侧α部。52％的单位有自发放电活动。用阈下强度同时刺激下丘脑和中脑,97％单位有兴奋反应,提示家兔下丘脑和中脑防御反应区在延髓腹侧有聚合投射。第二组9只家兔中,在延髓腹表面单侧应用甘氨酸滤纸片或电凝损毁时,血压轻度下降,刺激下丘脑和中脑防御反应区引起的升压反应也部分被阻断。双侧应用甘氨酸或损毁,血压下降到脊动物水平,升压反应几乎完全被阻断。上述结果提示家兔延髓腹侧神经元在维持正常血压水平和在中继防御反应传出通路中起重要作用。     

谷氨酸单钠化大鼠弓状核对束旁核痛单位放电的影响

下丘脑弓状核(ARC)是脑内β-内啡肽(β-end)能神经元胞体主要集中的核团(Bloom et al.,1978;Finley et al., 1981)。刺激大鼠ARC能明显抑制丘脑束旁核(PF)痛单位的诱发放电,而且,这种抑制效应可被吗啡受体阻断剂纳洛酮所阻断(陈向阳等,1986)。 新生期大鼠腹腔注射谷氨酸单钠(Monosodium Glutamate,MSG)能选择性地破坏ARC区神经元胞体(Krieger et al.,1979)。本实验在新生期注射MSG的成年大鼠上观察刺激ARC对PF痛单位放电的影响,以进一步探讨ARC在痛觉调制中的作用。     

大鼠下丘脑视前区神经元内雌激素受体α的表达--免疫组织化学研究

了解雌激素受体α(estrogen receptor alpha, ERα)在大鼠脑的分布及大鼠下丘脑视前区雌激素受体样阳性神经元的生后发育规律.用免疫组织化学反应方法结合图像分析仪检测雌性大鼠下丘脑视前区雌激素受体样阳性神经元的数量和灰度值.ERα分布于Calleja岛、梨形核、外侧隔核、基底前脑胆碱能神经元各群、终纹床核、下丘脑内侧视前区、室周核、腹内侧核、弓状核和结节乳头核、再连合和前内侧丘脑核、杏仁核复合体、梨形皮质和穹窿下器官.相比之下,皮质和海马内仅见几个分散的 ERα样阳性神经元.而纹状体内未见ERα样阳性神经元.ERα免疫反应产物主要位于细胞核内,蓝黑色.在成年雌性大鼠下丘脑内侧视前区(medial preoptic area, MPA)神经元的胞浆和突起内可见较弱的ERα免疫反应产物.在MPA内,生后1天可见ERα表达,随着大鼠的生后发育,成年时达到高峰.与成年大鼠比较,老年雌性大鼠雌激素受体样阳性神经元数量减少10.05%,P＞0.05,差异无显著性;平均灰度减少41.57%,P＜0.05,差异有显著性.老年雌性大鼠下丘脑MPA内ERα表达下调,可能与卵巢功能减退而导致情感、记忆变化有关.     

清醒状态下电刺激大鼠上矢状窦模型后脑内Fos阳性神经元的分布

目的清醒状态下电刺激大鼠上矢状窦后免疫组织化学染色观察Fos阳性神经元在脑内的分布情况。方法雄性SD大鼠,手术暴露上矢状窦后电刺激硬脑膜,应用免疫组织化学染色技术观察Fos阳性神经元在脑内的分布并绘图。结果电刺激后Fos阳性神经元在脑内分布广泛,主要集中在高颈段脊髓后角,三叉脊束核尾侧亚核,中缝核簇,中脑导水管周围灰质,脚间核及下丘脑等区域。结论脑内的多个区域参与了偏头痛的发生和发展过程,除与疼痛的信息传递和调控有关外,与情感、植物神经等调控有关的核团也参与其中。     

下丘脑下行通路及其功能

长期以来认为下丘脑室旁核和视上核神经元是通过垂体后叶分泌催产素和加压素对生殖和泌尿等功能进行调节的;但在雄性动物催产素有何生理意义,很长时间曾是个谜。近年来发现,室旁核等下丘脑结构还与脑干和脊髓有直接纤维联系,并以催产素和加压素为递质或调制物,完成对内脏活动的调节作用。这是一种神经调节,与内分泌调节并存。     

眼镜蛇毒对大鼠下丘脑视上核NOS表达的影响

目的观察眼镜蛇毒对大鼠视上核NOS表达的影响。方法将SD大鼠随机分为正常对照组、生理盐水组和眼镜蛇毒组,采用免疫组织化学染色法,观察并比较NOS阳性神经元在各组大鼠下丘脑视上核的分布情况。结果眼镜蛇毒组大鼠视上核NOS阳性神经元比生理盐水组、正常对照组表达明显增强(P0.01)。结论眼镜蛇毒对大鼠下丘脑视上核NOS的表达有上调作用。     

刺激大鼠穹窿下器官诱发饮水和脑内c—fos表达的胆碱能机制

实验以饮水行为脑内c-fos表达为指标,,观察刺激大鼠穹窿下器官（SFO）的效应,结果显示,刺激SFO能诱发明显的饮水行为,与此同时,前脑8个部位（终板血管器官,正中视前核,室旁核,视上核,下丘脑外侧区,穹窿周核背侧区,丘脑联合核和无名质）和后脑3个部位（最后区,孤束核和壁旁外侧核）的Fos蛋白表达明显增强,免疫组化双重染色结果显示,刺激SFO能诱导视上核和室旁核中部分神经元呈Fos蛋白和加压素共同表达。脑室注射阿托品能部分阻断刺激SFO诱发的饮水行为,脑内上述各部位所诱导的Fos蛋白表达也明显减弱,以上结果提示,M胆碱能机制参与 刺激SFO诱发的饮水行为和脑内Fos蛋白的表达。     

乙酰胆碱对大鼠丘脑束旁核和中脑网状结构痛反应神经元电活动的影响

在54只大鼠上,用两支微电极同时记录神经元放电的方法,研究了脑室注射乙酰胆碱(ACh)对丘脑束旁核(Pf)和中脑网状结构(RF)痛反应神经元电活动的影响。结果表明,当脑内ACh含量增加时,Pf和RF中两个痛兴奋神经元(PEN)的电活动同时减弱,两个痛抑制神经元(PIN)的电活动同时加强,Pf中一个PEN电活动减弱的同时RF中一个PIN电活动加强,或者相反。阿托品可以阻断ACh的上述作用。这提示,ACh对不同中枢痛反应神经元的电活动的影响是通过M胆碱能受体而实现的。     

1例雄性朱鹮脑内脑啡肽的免疫组织化学分布

用免疫组织化学方法研究脑啡肽(ENK)在极危物种朱(Nipponia nippon)脑内的分布,结合计算机图像分析仪检测免疫阳性细胞和末梢的灰度值。ENK阳性细胞、纤维和终末分布如下:发声核团有原纹状体中间区腹部、丘脑背内侧核外侧部、中脑丘间核、中脑背内侧核、延髓舌下神经核。听觉中枢有丘脑卵圆核壳区、中脑背外侧核壳区、脑桥外侧丘系腹核、上橄榄核、耳蜗核等。内分泌核团有视前区前核、旧纹状体增加部、下丘脑外侧核、下丘脑腹内侧核等。结果表明,朱脑内ENK可能对发声、听觉和下丘脑内分泌的生理活动有一定的调制作用。     

Spontaneous milk ejection during lactation and its possible relevance to success of breast-feeding.

In a woman suckling twins it became apparent that both suckling-induced and precisely timed, spontaneous bursts of milk ejection were occurring. Observations on days 14, 28, 56, and 112 of lactation disclosed highly significnat increases in intervals between episodes of spontaneous milk ejection. Furthermore, at all stages of lactation the interval between a feed and the next episode of spontaneous ejection was significantly longer than the interval between spontaneous ejections. The decrease in frequency of episodes of spontaneous milk ejection during lactation may be related to the decreasing release of prolactin in response to suckling. Spontaneous milk-ejection episodes are felt only when the breast is full and may signal its readiness for a further suckling episode. Such bursts of milk ejection may stimulate the suckling response in babies, suggesting that rigid three- or four-hour feeding regimens may be unphysiological and pose a threat to the success of breast-feeding in the early postnatal period.     

Raphe modulation of the pre-Bötzinger complex respiratory bursts in in vitro medullary half-slice preparations of neonatal mice

Spontaneous respiratory bursts which begin in the pre-Bötzinger complex were recorded from the hypoglossal (XIIth) nerve rootlets of in vitro slices prepared from newborn mice. First, we examined the respiratory bursts before and after a midline or para-midline transection which spared the caudal raphe nuclei: the raphe obscurus and raphe pallidus. After a midline transection, the respiratory bursts in both half-slices were desynchronized and had slightly decreased amplitudes and frequencies. After a para-midline transection, the bursts continued with similar frequencies in the half slice containing the raphe obscurus and raphe pallidus. Second, to analyze the effects of modulation by the raphe obscurus and raphe pallidus, a dorsal or ventral midline lesion was used to damage either the raphe obscurus or raphe pallidus. After a dorsal lesion, the synchronized respiratory bursts persisted with slightly decreased frequencies. In contrast, after a ventral lesion, the bursts were almost completely abolished, but recovered significantly after the addition of 5-HT. The present results demonstrated that the pre-Bötzinger complex on each side of the medulla can independently generate rhythmic respiratory activity. It is suggested that the 5-HT released from the ventral part of the raphe nuclei (predominantly the raphe pallidus) plays a critical role in sustaining rhythmic respiratory bursts.     

Neurons in the lower midbrain tonically inhibit non-shivering thermogenesis through their influence on inferior olivary neurons in anesthetized rats

Procaine or tetrodotoxin microinjected into the midbrain increased temperatures of the interscapular brown adipose tissue (BAT) and rectum. l-Glutamate microinjected into the same area decreased these temperatures. Neurons in the inferior olive (IO) expressed c-fos following body temperature increase with midbrain procaine. Electrical stimulation of and glutamate injection into the IO increased body temperature, and lO lesions blocked the midbrain procaine-induced body temperature increase. Since decerebration of the hypothalamus had no effect on the temperature increase, it was concluded that neurons in the midbrain tonically inhibit BAT thermogenesis via IO neurons independently of the hypothalamus.     

Adrenovascular lesions from neurogenic stress modified by suppression of nervous centres in rat

Adrenovascular lesions (hemorrhages and/or edema) caused by neurogenic stress, are modified by suppression of different nervous centres. Spinal transection at Th5 abolishes the adrenovascular response to neurogenic stress. Destruction of the anterior or posterior hypothalamus decreases this vascular response; the greatest effect was obtained by destruction of the hypothalamus medius or by hemidecortication. This effect was bilateral but more manifest contralaterally in cases with unilateral destruction. These results show that the adrenovascular reaction to neurogenic stress is regulated by the central nervous system, mainly by the hypothalamus and cerebral cortex.     

Effect of substance P on catecholamine levels in the hypothalamus and midbrain in the rat during immobilization stress

Single intraperitoneal injection of substance P in a dose of 125 mcg/kg induced a significant increase of noradrenaline and dopamine level in the hypothalamus and the midbrain of intact rats. Under conditions of immobilization emotional stress, the substance P eliminated the stress induced decrease of hypothalamic noradrenaline and increase of its level in the midbrain; in other words the substance P normalized the noradrenaline level. Modulatory effect of a single injection of the substance P had a long-term character and was synchronized with an earlier found increase of resistability of rats to chronic emotional stress.     

Preferential ipsilateral influence of the posterior hypothalamus on the neocortex

On the 10th–20th day after precollicular transection of the brain stem weak low-frequency electrical stimulation of the posterior hypothalamus preferentially activates the ipsilateral neocortex. After unilateral injury to the posterior hypothalamus, synchronous activity predominates in the ipsilateral neocortex. In premesencephalic animals weak single electrical stimulation of the posterior hypothalamus evokes the appearance of spindles in ipsilateral zones of the frontal cortex, whereas stronger single stimulation causes the diffuse generation of spindles in various parts of the neocortex. Besides this preferential unilateral effect, the influence of the posterior hypothalamus is found to be more strongly expressed in the frontal than in the occipital cortex. It is postulated that the posterior hypothalamus exerts its influence on the neocortex through the thalamic nuclei.Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Georgian SSR, Tbilisi. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 139–145, March–April, 1976.     

Brain catecholamines at the early stage of emotional stress

The blood pressure (BP) dynamics and catecholamine (CA) levels in the brain regions of August and Wistar rats were studied two hours after immobilization in order to elucidate the central neurochemical mechanisms leading to the destruction of BR self-regulation under emotional stress during the experiment. The BP level did not differ from the normal. The CA concentration in the hypothalamus, midbrain, isthmus rhombencephali and medulla oblongata underwent considerable changes. It is suggested that the mechanism of the CA changes in both strains of the rats exposed to stress is similar in the hypothalamus and medulla oblongata while both strains of the rats studied showed specificity in the activity of NA-synthesizing neurons of the isthmus rhombencephali and DA-synthesizing neurons of the midbrain that might be a cause of different resistance of cardiovascular functions during the later stage of immobilization.     

Endogenous Dopamine Maintains Synchronous Oscillation of Intracellular Calcium in Primary Cultured-Mouse Midbrain Neurons

We demonstrated synchronous oscillation of intracellular Ca2+ in cultured-mouse mid-brain neurons. This synchronous oscillation was thought to result from spontaneous and synchronous neural bursts in a synaptic neural network. We also examined the role of endogenous dopamine in neural networks showing synchronous oscillation. Immunocytochemical study revealed a few tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive dopaminergic neurons, and that cultured neurons expressed synaptophysin and synapsin I. Western blot analyses comfirmed synaptophysin, TH, and 2 types of dopamine receptor (DR), D1R and D2R expression. The synchronous oscillation in midbrain neurons was abolished by the application of R(-)-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoic acid (AP-5) as an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist. This result suggests that the synchronous oscillation in midbrain neurons requires glutamatergic transmissions, as was the case in previously reported cortical neurons. SCH-12679, a D1R antagonist, inhibited synchronous oscillation in midbrain neurons, while raclopride, a D2R antagonist, induced a transient increase of intracellular Ca2+ and inhibited synchronous oscillation. We consider that endogenous dopamine maintains synchronous oscillation of intracellular Ca2+ through D1R and D2R, and that these DRs regulate intracellular Ca2+in distinctly different ways. Synchronous oscillation of midbrain neurons would be a useful tool for in vitro researches into various neural disorders directly or indirectly caused by dopaminergic neurons.     

Proposed pathways for vocal self-stimulation: Met-enkephalinergic projections linking the mibrain vocal nucleus,auditory-responsive thalamic vocal nucleus,auditory-responsive thalamic regions and neurosecretory hypothalamus

In this study, we have investigated the neuroanatomical pathways that may underlie the influence of a female bird's vocal behavior upon her own reproductive endocrine response. We traced the ascending efferent projections of the midbrain vocal control nucleus, the intercollicularis (ICo), using an anterograde tracer, PHAL, delivered by iontophoretic application. We found labelled terminal fields in the anterior regions of the hypothalamus that contained luteinizing hormone releasing hormone- (LHRH) immunoreactive neurons. We injected into the LHRH-rich anterior medial hypothalamus (AM) the retrograde tracer, fluorogold, to verify the results of PHAL anterograde tracing and exmine whether retrogradely labelled neurons in the ICo can be stained with met-enkephalin antiserum by the immunohistochemical method. Of the retrogradely labelled neurons in the medial division of ICo (mICo), between 5% and 15% were found to be met-enkephalin-immunoreactive positive perikarya. Our data suggest that axonal projections into the anterior medial hypothalamus may arise in part from enkephalin-immunoreactive neurons in the medial ICo. The mICo neurons distributed along the medial border of the midbrain auditory nucleus give rise to projections into the posterior medial hypothalamus (PMH) via synapses within the shell region of thalamic auditory nucleus, ovoidalis (Ov). We conclude that in the ring dove, the medial division of the vocal control nucleus, by virtue of its connection with the auditory thalamus and neurosecretory hypothalamus, is in a position to exert influence on endocrine response partly through enkephalinergic systems. Implications of similar connections in other species are discussed. 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Spinal pathway of the milk-ejection reflex in the rat

The effects of lesions of the spinal cord on the milk-ejection reflex evoked by suckling were studied in urethane-anesthetized lactating rats. All lesions were made between C6 and C7 vertebrae and milk ejection was monitored by recording intramammary pressure. In the first experiment on the rats with bilateral lesions, a 3-h suckling test with 5 pups on each side was performed. Eleven (84.6%) of 13 rats with the section of the dorsal funiculus (Group 2), and 12 (85.7%) of 14 rats with the combined section of the dorsal and ventral funiculi (Group 4) displayed regular milk ejection. The incidence of milk ejection in both groups was not significantly different from 81.8% (9 rats) of the 11 sham-operated rats (Group 1). In contrast, none of the 12 rats with bilateral section of the lateral funiculus (Group 3) displayed milk ejection and the incidence of milk ejection was significantly lower than that in Group 1. In the second experiment on the rats with unilateral section of the lateral funiculus, bilateral suckling with 10 pups (5 pups on each side) and unilateral suckling (both ipsilateral and contralateral to the lesion) with 5 pups were consecutively performed in the 10 rats. Milk ejection was induced in 50% by contralateral suckling and in 100% by bilateral suckling, and the incidence was significantly higher than that (0%) observed during ipsilateral suckling. A significant difference in the incidence of milk ejection was also observed between contralateral and bilateral sucklings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)