Morphofunctional evaluation of the condition of the brain in rats with different degrees of recovery of neurological status following arrest of systemic blood circulation

The brain status was studied for four days after resuscitation of rats with different degrees of recovery of the neurological status after systemic circulatory arrest induced by the occlusion of vascular bundles of the heart. Morphometric analysis of the population of Purkinje cells from the two different functional zones of the cerebellum revealed that in comparison with completely recovered rats, the animals with disturbed neurological status were characterized by loss of neurons, disturbed composition of the neuronal population, development of severe dystrophic cell changes. The lateral zone of the cerebellum hemisphere was most affected. Four days after resuscitation all the animals showed a sharp increase in the size of the nucleus of Purkinje cells, which is considered to be one of the mechanisms of neuronal adaptation to hypoxia.     

Spatial organization of the three‐component lichen Peltigera aphthosa in functional terms

The cephalolichen Peltigera aphthosa (L.) Willd. is characterized by lateral heterogeneity, which manifests itself in the presence of three thallus zones, referred to as the apical, basal and medial zone. These zones differ in terms of interaction between lichen bionts and their physiological activity. The apical thallus zone is more efficient in establishing a contact with cyanobacteria, because of a higher lectin content and a larger overall thallus surface area due to the presence of numerous mycobiont hyphae. Cephalodia are formed in this zone. The interaction between the mycobiont and cyanobiont is more intense in the medial zone. However, the establishment of the contact with cyanobacteria in this zone less probable. The spatial distribution of lectins in the thallus was determined. To reveal the differences in photosynthetic activity in three thallus zones, transient analysis of chlorophyll a fluorescence and the assessment of non‐photochemical quenching of excited chlorophyll states were performed. Assimilation of absorbed light energy was more effective in the medial zone. The basal zone was characterized by decreased photosynthetic activity, lichen dissociation and thallus death.     

Tentative localization of glutamergic and aspartergic nerve endings in brain

1. The locations of the high affinity uptakes of glutamate, aspartate and GABA were studied autoradiographically and microchemically in slices of hippocampus and septum in vitro. 2. In hippocampus the distributions of the uptake sites for glutamate and aspartate were very similar, with much higher uptake in zones containing pyramidal cell terminals than in other zones. A reciprocal distribution was found for GABA uptake, which was in agreement with that of GAD. 3. Cutting pyramidal cell axons to CAl reduced the uptake of aspartate and glutamate in the target area in CAl by 80%. 4. Autoradiographically the uptake of aspartate was very high in the dorsal part of the lateral septum, moderately high in nucleus accumbens septi and neostriatum, and very low in the medial septum. GABA uptake was lower in the medial than in the lateral septum, but very high in a narrow transitional zone and in the insula Cajella magna. 5. Transecting the axons from hippocampus and subiculum to septum, gave a 70% reduction in the uptakes of aspartate and glutamate in the lateral septum, but no reduction in the medial septum. 6. Literature data on uptake, content and release of glutamate and aspartate in nerve endings in brain are briefly reviewed.     

Connections between the parietal cortex with the lateral suprasylvian gyrus (Clare-Bishop area) and auditory cortex in cats

Projections between areas 5 and 7 and the lateral suprasylvian gyrus (Clare-Bishop area) were investigated using anterograde degeneration techniques. This showed a topographic organization of projections from areas 5 and 7 to the lateral suprasylvian gyrus. Area 5 association fibers terminate mainly in the anterior portion of the lateral suprasylvian gyrus; this corresponds to the intermediate zone and anterior section of the posterior suprasylvian region. Area 7 efferents are located more caudally, terminating in the posterior section of the intermediate zone and in the posterior region, excluding the outer posterior limits. Fields 5 and 7 give rise to single efferent fibers terminating in the auditory cortex. Fibers from area 5 terminate in the medial ectosylvian and medial, sylvian gyri, i.e., in zones Al and AII or areas 22 and 50. A projection from area 7 terminates at the superior border of the medial ectosylvian gyrus, corresponding to the upper limit of zone A1 or areas 22 and 50.L. A. Orbeli Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, Erevan. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 22, No. 6, pp. 739–745, November–December, 1990.     

Evoked activity in the ventral horn of the lumbar segments of the spinal cord during cortical inhibition of cortical motor responses

Electrical activity in the flexor nerve and focal potentials (FP) in the medial and lateral zones of the ventral horn (VH) of segments L₆ and L₇ of the spinal cord, evoked by excitation of the contralateral motor cortex, were recorded in delicate experiments on cats. These focal potentials were studied during inhibition of the flexor response that developed as a result of prior excitation of the ipsilateral cortex ("cortical inhibition"). During the inhibition the FP's of the medial zone (layer VIII, according to Rexed) were greatly increased, mainly in their negative components, their time-characteristics being altered. When the interval between excitations was 50 msec (in that case the inhibition was most pronounced) the medial FP's arose against a negative background, which was a late component of the previous activity evoked by conditioning excitation. The appearance of this late component was correlated with the development of inhibition of the cortical flexor response. At the same time a positive condition developed in the lateral zone, in the region of the nucleus biceps-semitendinosus, which indicated orientation in a lateral direction of the interneurons discharging in the medial zone at late periods after the conditioning excitation. Inhibition of the flexor response was accompanied by depression of the lateral FP's without change in their sign or in the time-structure of their components. It is suggested that cortical inhibition of the cortical flexor response arises at the interneuron level. The functional structure of that inhibitory pathway is discussed.I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 185–193, March–April, 1971.     

Lymphatic vessels of the upper extremity and their relation to nodes in the axillary area in healthy subjects and lymph flow blockade

Large and small lymphatic vessels have been studied roentgenologically on the medial, lateral, posterior and anterior surfaces of the upper extremity in 113 patients at the age of 19-63 years at blockade of the lymphatic stream. On the medial and lateral surfaces the lymphatic vessels are filled with the contrast substance via anatomical approaches from the palmar and dorsal sides of the forearm. With isolated contrasting of various large lymphatic vessels, zones in the skin and in the subcutaneous fatty layers drained by them are revealed, as well as distribution of small vessels in the forearm and shoulder in each region. Variants of large lymphatic vessels and their tributaries are defined; an essential variability of their inflow into the axillary lymph nodes from various anatomical areas of the upper extremity is found. Into every 1-4 groups of the lymph nodes of the axillary area, 1-3 large vessels inflow, through them the contrast substance switches from the same anatomical zone repeatedly.     

Intrahypothalamic connections of the lateral hypothalamus

Using the axon degeneration method by R. Fink and L. Heimer, organization of intrathalamic connections between various areas of the lateral hypothalamus have been studied after unisided electrolitic lesion. At any location of the injury foci, similar patterns are observed in ipsilateral distribution of degenerating fibers along the whole lateral preoptico-hypothalamic area. The most massive degeneration is observed in the zone where the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) fibers run. The degenerating fibers spread forward--into the septal area, and backward--into the mesencephalic part of the brain. The rostral and caudal parts of the lateral hypothalamus, taking part in formation of the MFB collateralies towards the thalamus, are connected with various thalamic nuclei. Massive preterminal degeneration in the perifornical zone and single argerophile granules in the medial hypothalamus convincingly demonstrate an important role of the intermediate zone for connections of its medial and lateral parts with each other. The conclusion that the intrahypothalamic connections of the lateral hypothalamus are realized within the MFB system supports the modern notion on a close connection of the lateral hypothalamus with the system of longitudinal diffuse bundles of fibers of the medial anterocerebral pathway that run through it.     

Persistent and reparative neurogenesis in the juvenile masu salmon <Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus masou</Emphasis> telencephalon after mechanical injury

A superficially located periventricular proliferative area with PCNA-immunopositive (PCNA+) cells, which corresponds to the pallial periventricular zone (PVZ) of other fish species, including its dorsal, lateral, and medial compartments, is discovered in the telencephalon of the juvenile masu salmon Oncorhynchus masou. The PCNA+ cells are also identified in the parenchyma of the masu salmon intact brain, and their maximum concentration is observed in the medial zone. After a mechanical injury, the zones of induced neurogenesis—neurogenic niches and sites of secondary neurogenesis surrounded by radial glial fibers—appear in the masu salmon telencephalon. The PVZ of the juvenile masu salmon pallium contains clusters of undifferentiated HuCD-immunopositive (HuCD+) neurons. A change in the HuCD+ cell topography is observed in the mechanically injured masu salmon telencephalon, namely, neurogenic niches in the lateral zone and an increase in the cell distribution density and cell migration patterns in the medial zone. A high level of persistent neurogenesis is characteristic of the juvenile masu salmon brain.     

NO-dependent mechanisms of the amygdalofugal modulation of the hypothalamus vegetative neurons

In neurophysiological and histochemical experiments on rats, amygdalo-fugal modulation of cells within NO-producing areas of the hypothalamus was studied. Electrical stimulation of the medial area of the central nucleus caused obvious excitatory neuronal reactions within the medial part of the paraventricular nucleus and rostral portion of the lateral hypothalamic area. The observed amygdala-induced neuronal responses were enhanced after i.v. N-nitro-1-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 10 mg/kg). The nistochemical study revealed that the central nucleus stimulation caused an increase in number and optical density of the NADPH-d-positive cells within the parvicellular zone of the paraventricular nucleus and in the medial part of the lateral hypothalamic area. The NO-producing cells within the ventrolateral part of the lateral hypothalamic area were inhibited. The described phenomenon may underlie the amygdalo-fugae modulation of autonomic outflow.     

Correlation between geometric and electrophysiological characteristics of brainstem neurons in kittens

Unit activity was recorded extracellularly from the pontomedullary reticular nuclei of kittens aged 1–5 and 15–30 days, immobilized with diplacin. Properties of neurons located in the medial and lateral zones were compared. As regards the amplitude of spike potentials and types of spontaneous and evoked activity, the cells of the two groups were shown to differ. Tetanic stimulation with a frequency of 300 Hz caused a decrease in the medial zone but an increase in the lateral zone in the number of responding units compared with responses to single stimulation. In neurons of the medial zone intensification of spontaneous activity in the interval between stimuli was more marked and continued after the end of stimulation for a long time. It is suggested that units whose activity is recorded in the medial and lateral zones are mainly giant densely branched and reticular sparsely branched neurons respectively. The difference in the characteristics of activity is connected with the geometry of the dendrites and the foci of their maximal branching.Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 140–148, March–April, 1982.     

Spatial organization of direct connections of the sensomotor cortex with the rhombencephalon and spinal cord in the cat

The distribution and ultrastructure of terminals of corticofugal fibers in the rhombencephalon and spinal cord of the cat were studied by light and electron microscopy at various times (4–6 days) of experimental degeneration after extensive or local (about 3 mm in diameter) destruction of the sensomotor cortex. Definite topographical organization of corticofugal projections in the nuclei of the dorsal columns and in the spinal cord was detected by the Fink — Heimer method. After local destruction of the lateral zones of the sensomotor cortex, maximal foci of degeneration were found in the nucleus of Burdach and the lateral basilar region of the cervical segments; after local destruction of the medial zones of the sensomotor cortex maximal foci of degeneration of corticofugal fibers were observed in Goll's nucleus and the lateral basilar region of the lumbar segments. The results show that even an extremely localized area of the cat sensomotor cortex forms two separate systems of descending corticospinal fibers. The first projects into the dorsolateral and dorsomedial parts of the intermediate zone, chiefly contralaterally, whereas the second projects bilaterally into both dorsolateral and ventromedial parts of the intermediate zone. The possible physiological significance of this duality of projections is discussed.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 126–133, March–April, 1976.     

GFAP and PCNA Marking in the cerebellum of masu salmon’s (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Oncorhynchus masou</Emphasis>) juvenile after mechanical injury

The objective of this work was to study proliferation processes and the role of glia and neural stem cells in the event of injurious action on cerebellum of masu salmon’s (Oncorhynchus masou) juvenile. Using the immunoperoxidase staining of the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and proliferating cells nuclear antigen (PCNA), processes of proliferation and gliogenesis after mechanical trauma of cerebellum of cherry salmon’s (Oncorhynchus masou) juvenile were studied. After the trauma, the intensity of proliferation and migration processes varies in different zones. Proliferation processes decrease after the trauma in lateral and basal zones, and migration increases. In the dorsal zone, on the contrary, migration processes significantly decrease and proliferation increases. In the dorsal matrix zone of a cerebellum, intense cell proliferation was detected. In the dorsal, lateral, and basal zone of the molecular layer of cerebellum after traumatic damage, neurogenic niches containing PCNA and cells, as well as a heterogeneous population of PCNA-cells, were identified. At the location of neurogenic niches, fibers of radial glia and small single intensely or moderately labeled GFAP cells were discovered. As a result of damaging action, GFAP+ fibers of radial glia, which form differently directed radially oriented bundles, appeared in the dorsal matrix zone. Such structural formations have not been discovered in intact animals. We suppose that, after the trauma, structural reconstruction connected with partial spatial reorientation of the radial glia fibers and formation of specific directions for cells formed in this zone occurs in the dorsal matrix zone. As a result of the trauma, in masu salmon’s cerebellum, elements of the radial glia, including both cells possessing typical morphology and cell fragments presented as long radially oriented processes or cell body containing initial fragments of radial fibers, appeared.     

The area octavo-lateralis in Xenopus laevis

Summary Central projections of afferents from the lateral line nerves and from the individual branches of the VIIIth cranial nerve in Xenopus laevis and Xenopus mülleri were studied by the application of HRP to the cut end of the nerves.Upon entering the rhombencephalon, the lateral line afferents form a longitudinal fascicle of ascending and descending branches in the ventro-lateral part of the lateral line neuropile. The fascicle exhibits a topographic organization, that is not reflected in the terminal field of the side branches. The terminal field can be subdivided into a rostral, a medial and a caudal part, each of which shows specific branching and terminal pattern of the lateral line afferents. These different patterns within the terminal field are interpreted as the reflection of functional subdivisions of the lateral line area. The study did not reveal a simple topographic relationship between peripheral neuromasts and their central projections.Two nuclei of the alar plate with significant lateral line input were delineated: the lateral line nucleus (LLN) and the medial part of the anterior nucleus (AN). An additional cell group, the intermediate nucleus (IN), is a zone of lateral line and eighth nerve overlap, although such zones also exist within the ventral part of the LLN and the dorsal part of the caudal nucleus (CN). Six nuclei which receive significant VIIIth nerve input are recognized: the cerebellar nucleus (CbN), the lateral part of the anterior nucleus, the dorsal medullary nucleus (DMN), the lateral octavus nucleus (LON), the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) and the caudal nucleus (CN).All inner ear organs have more than one projection field. All organs project to the dorsal part of the LON and the lateral part of the AN. Lagena, amphibian papilla and basilar papilla project to separate regions of the dorsal medullary nucleus (DMN). There is evidence for a topographic relation between the hair cells of the amphibian papilla (AP) and the central projections of AP fibers. The sacculus projects extensively to a region between the DMN and the LON. Fibers from the sacculus and the lagena project directly to the superior olive. Fibers from the utriculus and the three crista organs terminate predominantly in the medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) and in the adjacent parts of the reticular formation, and their terminal structures appear to be organotopically organised. Octavus fiber projections to the cerebellum and to the spinal cord are also described.     

The olivocerebellar projection to lobules I and II.

The olivocerebellar projection to lobules I and II was studied by means of retrograde transport from implants of the crystalline WGA-HRP complex. Retrogradely labelled neurons were found in the medial and dorsal accessory olives. Judged from the distribution of labelled cells, we conclude that parasagittally the olivocerebellar terminal zones A and B (i.e., the cerebellar cortical strips receiving axons from the olivary A and B regions) extend anteriorly into lobule Ia, whereas the fused olivocerebellar terminal C1/C3 zones reach lobule IIa. The olivocerebellar terminal C2 zone extends into lobule IIIa but not into lobule IIa. In lobule I the medial border of the B zone lies about 1 mm from the midline, in lobule II the B zone extends somewhat more medially. The lateral border of this zone is 1.9-2 mm from the midline. Compared to previous results, it appears that most of the Purkinje cells in lobule I projecting to the vestibular nuclei lie medially to the olivocerebellar terminal B zone.     

The spectral characteristics of the electrical activity in the rabbit brain during the hunger dominant]

By means of daily alimentary deprivation the dominant of hunger was created in rabbits. In response to acoustic stimuli summational swallowing and chewing movements appeared. Spectral analysis of the electrical brain activity showed the presence of primary dominant focus zone (lateral and ventromedial hypothalamus), characterized by an increase of spectrum power in delta-range while in the orbito-frontal, sensorimotor, parietal cerebral cortex, in the medial and lateral preoptic hypothalamic zones the power of biopotentials spectrum decreased within the whole analyzed frequency range.     

Evidence of repetitive patterns of chromatin distribution in cell nuclei of rat liver

Samples of rat livers were fixed in glutaraldehyde, contrasted en bloc with phosphotungstic acid, embedded in an epoxy resin and serially sectioned. The study of three-dimensional models of 20 complete nuclei shows that all of them share some general features: they have more than one nucleolus (2-4), an irregular layer of compact chromatin adjacent to the nuclear membrane and well-delimited clumps of chromatin both in the nuclear sap and surrounding the nucleoli. A space of 8 sections containing the central nucleolus and a lateral one was studied in detail. In this space, 8 clumps of compact chromatin were found in 17 nuclei and 9 clumps in the other 3 nuclei. No other number of clumps was found in those zones. In all the nuclei studied the compact chromatin surrounding the central nucleolus contacts the nuclear envelope. This contact takes place in a region almost diametrically opposed to the lateral nucleolus in 13 nuclei. In 7 nuclei, these structures were at angles between 50 and 125 degrees. These results support the existence of nonrandom repetitive patterns of chromatin distribution in liver cells.     

Processes of Proliferation and Apoptosis in the Brain of the Amur Sturgeon

Using techniques of immunoperoxidase staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and TUNEL labeling of fragmented DNA, we studied sites of proliferation and apoptosis in the myelencephalon, cerebellum, tectum opticum, thalamus, and hypothalamus of the Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii). We found that the processes of proliferation and apoptosis are maintained in the brain of 3-year-old sturgeon individuals; the ratio of these processes in different cerebral regions varied significantly. The maximum intensity of proliferative activity was found in the periventricular zone of the myelencephalon (proliferation index, on average, 21.0 ± 1.3%). This fact allows us to consider this cerebral region a most important zone were adult neurogenesis occurs in the sturgeon. In the medial reticular formation, dorsal thalamic nuclei, inner fibrous layer of the tectum, and lateral hypothalamus, the maximum numbers of apoptotic elements were found. Therefore, these zones in the brain of the sturgeon correspond, apparently, to the regions where postmitotic neuroblasts are localized. In sensory centers (tectum and nuclei of the V, VII, and X nerves), significantly varying ratios of intensities of proliferation and apoptosis were found; this is indicative of dissimilar rates of growth and differentiation in visual and chemosensory centers of the sturgeon brain. The high proliferative activity in sensory and motor cerebral centers of the sturgeon allows us to hypothesize that a neotenic pattern is preserved in these CNS regions of adult sturgeons over a long period after the embryogenesis has been completed.     

Activation of various areas of the ventral horn of lumbar segments during stimulation of the motor cortex

Focal potentials (FP) in segments L₆–L₇ of the ventral horn, evoked by stimulation of the motor cortex with series of stimuli of threshold magnitude for the flexor nerve response, were studied in acute experiments on cats. Appreciable differences were found to exist between the FP arising in the medial zone (layer VIII of Rexed) and those in the inner and outer parts of the lateral zone (layer IX). The FP of the medial zone appear earlier than in other zones (with a latency of 5–12 msec); they are multiphasic, negative components predominating over the positive ones. The FP from the inner part of layer IX possess the largest amplitude (up to 500 µV), a latency of 7–13 msec, a large first negative phase, and marked late positivity. Positive — negative FP (latency 9–15 msec) of small amplitude are recorded from the outermost portion of the ventral horn. The FP of the three zones mentioned above differ also with respect to other functional criteria. The FP of the medial zone are assumed to reflect the realization at the segmental level of the extrapyramidal component of descending cortical activity, the FP of both lateral zones reflecting reciprocal interrelations between postsynaptic processes in the motoneurons of flexor and extensor nuclei during implementation of a cortical motor reaction.I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 3, No. 2, pp. 175–184, March–April, 1971.