下丘脑室旁核胃动素对胃运动影响的探讨

目的 :研究下丘脑室旁核 (paraventricularnucleus,PVN)胃动素对胃运动调节的参与作用及机制。 方法 :应用免疫组织化学的方法检测室旁核内胃动素神经元的表达情况及室旁核与延髓迷走复合体 (dorsalvagalcomplex ,DVC)间的神经联系 ,应用室旁核内微量注入胃动素的方法观察清醒大鼠胃运动的变化。结果 :①下丘脑室旁核有胃动素免疫阳性细胞 ,在饥饿组和十二指肠灌酸组 ,阳性细胞数有明显增加 (P <0 .0 1)。②迷走背核注入辣根过氧化物酶 (horseradishperoxidase ,HRP) ,在室旁核发现HRP标记细胞 ,证实室旁核与DVC间的纤维联系。③清醒大鼠室旁核内微量注射胃动素可使胃运动的幅度和频率明显增加 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,切断双侧膈下迷走神经后 ,胃动素对胃运动的作用消失。结论 :下丘脑室旁核内胃动素可增强胃运动 ,其作用可能是通过下丘脑 延髓迷走复合体 迷走神经实现的     

束缚应激对大鼠下丘脑室旁核、视上核一氧化氮合酶活性的影响

目前已知下丘脑是应激反应的关键性调节中枢,下丘脑内一氧化氮是否参与应激反应尚未见报道。本文运用ＮＡＤＰＨ－ｄ酶组化技术和计算机图象分析方法,对束缚应激大鼠下丘脑室旁核（ＰＶＮ）和视上核（ＳＯＮ）一氧化氮合酶（ＮＯＳ）阳性神经元的相对切面面积和平均灰度进行了分析。结果显示,大鼠在急性束缚应激４小时后,其下丘脑ＰＶＮ和ＳＯＮ内的ＮＯＳ阳性神经元的平均灰度值与正常大鼠比较均明显降低（Ｐ＜０．００１）;ＳＯＮ的ＮＯＳ阳性神经元的相对切面面积明显大于正常大鼠（Ｐ＜０．００１）,但ＰＶＮ的ＮＯＳ阳性神经元的相对切面面积未见明显改变（Ｐ＞０．０５）。以上结果说明束缚应激使大鼠下丘脑ＰＶＮ和ＳＯＮ的ＮＯＳ活性增强     

大鼠下丘脑室旁核-下丘脑前区(PVH-AHA)神经元对电刺激丘脑束旁核(PF)的逆行反应和顺行反应

本工作以逆行鉴定的方法研究了丘脑束旁核(PF)和下丘脑室旁核-下丘脑前区(PVH-AHA)之间的神经连接。在 PVH-AHA 观察了150个神经元对 PF 刺激的反应。其中,7个单位发生逆行反应,42个单位发生顺行反应,101个单位没有反应。逆行反应的潜伏期为10—12ms,传导速度约0.4m/s.顺行刺激和逆行刺激的结果表明 PF 与 PVH-AHA 之间存在着交互连接。     

糖皮质激素对大鼠下丘脑薄片室旁核神经元放电的影响

自60年代以来,许多整体电生理实验结果表明,糖皮质激素能对下丘脑、中脑、海马和脊髓等部位的神经元电活动产生快速而且短暂的影响。这类反应的潜伏期只有数秒到数分钟,因此糖皮质激素不可能通过基因机制起作用,它可能还存在着其他的作用方式。目前已有生化实验的资料证实,两栖类和哺乳类某些细胞的质膜上存在糖皮质激素的膜结合位点。本室以往的研究结果亦提示在豚鼠腹腔神经     

不同生殖状态雌性大鼠下丘脑视上核和室旁核内一氧化氮合酶神经元的变化

为了探讨下丘脑视上核 (SON)和室旁核 (PVN)内的一氧化氮 (NO)水平与生殖活动的关系 ,本实验应用 NADPH-黄递酶组织化学和 NOS免疫组织化学 ,研究了妊娠期、哺乳期和正常雌性大鼠 SON和 PVN内 NO合酶 (NOS)神经元的变化规律。结果发现 ,妊娠期大鼠的 NOS神经元数目、胞体截面积和免疫反应产物的灰度值在 PVN分别为 49.8± 3.9、15 2 .4± 14.1μm2 和 15 3.4± 8.9;在 SON分别为 2 9.2± 3.7、 16 3.5± 13.8μm2 和 140 .5± 7.2。 SON和 PVN的前两项指标均显著高于正常大鼠 (P<0 .0 1) ,而灰度值显著低于正常大鼠 (P<0 .0 1)。哺乳期大鼠 PVN的 NOS神经元数目和胞体截面积分别高于正常大鼠 2 8%和 9% ,而灰度值低于正常大鼠 7% ;在 SON,则分别高 75 %、 11%和低 9% ,以上三项指标均有显著性差异 (P<0 .0 1)。哺乳期大鼠 SON的 NOS神经元数目亦显著高于妊娠期大鼠 (P<0 .0 1)。这些结果提示 ,雌性大鼠在妊娠期和哺乳期 ,其 SON和 PVN内的 NOS活性上调     

下丘脑室旁核的心血管调节功能研究进展

下丘脑室旁核 (PVN)是自主性和内分泌性反应的重要整合中枢 ,且在维持心血管活动的动态平衡中起着关键作用。本文简要归纳了PVN的形态结构、纤维联系 ,并详细叙述其对心血管活动的调节及与心血管疾病的关系。     

终纹床核神经元AMPA／NMDA的受体比例与可卡因复吸

研究成瘾药物复吸的神经机制是此类研究的核心问题。最近,美国俄勒冈健康与科学大学学者John TWilliams等人发现:被动接受成瘾药物和主动复吸有不同的神经机制。此研究从兴奋性突触强度变化和AMPA/NMDA受体比例变化入手,观察到大鼠腹侧终纹床核(ventral lateral bed nucleus of     

皮质酮对大鼠下丘脑薄片室旁核神经元自发电活动的影响

本实验应用离体大鼠下丘脑薄片技术,用玻璃微电极细胞外记录、观察了下丘脑室旁核神经元的自发电活动,以及皮质酮对自发电活动的影响。在36个下丘脑薄片上观察了104个室旁核神经元的自发电活动,其放电形式主要有三种:慢而不规则(50个,占48.1%)、快速连续(44个,占42.5%)和周期性放电(10个,9.4%)。在进行皮质酮灌流的实验中,这104个单位有25个在皮质酮(10~(-7),10~(-6)mol/L)作用后,自发放电明显减少,有8个单位出现兴奋效应;其余的没有观察到明显反应。上述33个产生反应的神经元其反应特点是:潜伏期短、反应的程度与皮质酮浓度有关、糖皮质激素胞液受体阻断剂 RU38486可以阻断这种反应。结果表明糖皮质激素可以快速影响下丘脑薄片内某些室旁核神经元的电活动,为甾体激素的快速非基因机制作用提供了新的证据,提示室旁核神经元膜上有糖皮质激素受体存在。     

大鼠下丘脑室旁核神经元对电刺激迷走神经的反应

用玻璃微电极记录了93只大鼠的1059个PVH单位的电活动,观察了电刺激颈部迷走神经对PVH单位自发放电的效应和所引起的PVH单位的诱发反应。电刺激迷走神经分别使46个及10个PVH单位呈诱发兴奋和抑制反应。给予迷走神经以不同强度的刺激时,发现PVH神经元对激活A和C两类纤维的强刺激反应,而对仅激活A类纤维的弱刺激则不反应。PVH单位对电刺激坐骨神经或迷走神经的反应有以下几种:对迷走神经和坐骨神经刺激均作出兴奋或抑制反应;仅对迷走刺激作出兴奋或兴奋-抑制反应,而对坐骨神经刺激不反应;对坐骨神经刺激作出兴奋反应,而对迷走神经刺激不反应。讨论了迷走神经到室旁核的中枢传导特点以及内脏传入和躯体传入信息在PVH单位会聚的可能意义。     

Chronic morphine treatment and withdrawal increase extracellular levels of norepinephrine in the rat bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

Extracellular levels of norepinephrine (NE) and glutamate (Glu) in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (vBNST) of saline- and chronic morphine-treated rats, with or without withdrawal, were studied by means of the in vivo microdialysis technique in anesthetized rats. In addition, the tissue concentration of NE was studied at different rostrocaudal levels of the vBNST. Chronic morphine treatment significantly increased extracellular levels of NE, but not Glu, in vBNST. At 48 h after naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal there was a further significant increase in the extracellular levels of NE, but not Glu, in vBNST. The presence of UK 14304, an alpha(2)-adrenergic agonist, induced a significant decrease in NE extracellular levels in all experimental groups. In contrast, UK 14304 induced a significant decrease in Glu extracellular levels only in saline-treated rats. The results also show that the vBNST presents a rostrocaudal gradient of NE and contains 9.4% of total brain NE. The increase in NE extracellular levels in vBNST induced by chronic morphine treatment and the further increase in NE levels 48 h after naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal suggest that NE in vBNST may be involved in the pharmacological effects of chronic morphine and withdrawal.     

Blood supply of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in rat

Summary The topographical distribution of the blood vessels in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (NIST) has been mapped in rats. Arteries and veins were visualized in red and blue by using a double-ink perfusion technique. Arteries supplying the NIST arise from the anterior cerebral artery directly or through the anterior communicating and interhemispheric arteries. Only a few, dorsal branches derive from the medial cerebral artery through thalamostriatal arteries. According to their terminal branches, NIST arteries can be divided into five groups: medial, ventral, lateral, septal and dorsal, which have only a relatively small overlap in their territories. About 90% of veins from the NIST drain into the major basal veins. Medial branches run into the perioptic and interhemispheric veins, while the ventral branches and the large lateral vein drain directly into the anterior cerebral vein. A small proportion of NIST veins run dorsalward into the vena cerebri magna via thalamostriatal veins.     

Organizational effects of testosterone,estradiol, and dihydrotestosterone on vasopressin mRNA expression in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

In adulthood, male rats express higher levels of arginine vasopressin (AVP) mRNA in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) than do female rats. We tested whether this sex difference is primarily due to differences in neonatal levels of testosterone. Male and female rats were gonadectomized on the day of birth and treated with testosterone propionate (TP) or vehicle on postnatal days 1, 3, and 5 (P1, P3, and P5). Three months later, all rats were implanted with testosterone‐filled capsules. Two weeks later, brains were processed for in situ hybridization to detect AVP mRNA. We found that neonatal TP treatment significantly increased the number of vasopressinergic cells in the BST over control injections. We then sought to determine the effects of testosterone metabolites, estradiol and dihydrotestosterone, given alone or in combination, on AVP expression in the BST. Rat pups were treated as described above, except that instead of testosterone, estradiol benzoate (EB), dihydrotestosterone propionate (DHTP), a combination of EB and DHTP (EB+DHTP), or vehicle was injected neonatally. Neonatal treatment with either EB or EB+DHTP increased the number of vasopressinergic cells in the BST over that of DHTP or oil treatment. However, treatment with DHTP also significantly increased the number of vasopressinergic cells over that of oil treatment. Hence, in addition to bolstering evidence that estradiol is the more potent metabolite of testosterone in causing sexual differentiation of the brain, these data provide the first example of a masculinizing effect of a nonaromatizable androgen on a sexually dimorphic neuropeptide system. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Neurobiol 54: 502–510, 2003     

Development of sex differences in the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis of mice: role of Bax-dependent cell death

Neuron number in the principal nucleus of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTp) is greater in adult male mice than in females. Deletion of the proapoptotic gene, Bax, increases the number of BNSTp cells in adulthood and eliminates the sex difference in cell number. Here, we map the ontogeny of sex differences in nuclear volume and cell number in the BNSTp of neonatal mice, and evaluate the role of cell death in the development of these differences. We find that BNSTp volume and cell number do not differ between male and female wild-type mice on postnatal days P3, P5, or P7. Sex differences emerge after the first postnatal week and both measures are significantly greater in males than in females on P9 and P11. Cell death, assessed by TUNEL staining, was observed in the BNSTp of both sexes from P1-P8. Females had more TUNEL-positive cells than males from approximately P3-P6, with the maximum number of dying cells observed on P5/P6. To test whether the Bax gene is required for sexually dimorphic cell death in the BNSTp, TUNEL cells were counted on P6 in Bax -/- mice and their Bax +/+ siblings. Bax gene deletion nearly abolished TUNEL-positive cells in the BNSTp of both sexes. Together, these findings support the interpretation that the sex difference in BNSTp cell number seen in adulthood is due to Bax-dependent, sexually dimorphic cell death during the first week of life.     

Vasotocin neurons in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis preferentially process social information and exhibit properties that dichotomize courting and non-courting phenotypes

Neurons within the medial bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BSTm) that produce arginine vasotocin (VT; in non-mammals) or arginine vasopressin (VP; in mammals) have been intensively studied with respect to their anatomy and neuroendocrine regulation. However, almost no studies have examined how these neurons process stimuli in the animals' immediate environment. We recently showed that in five estrildid finch species, VT-immunoreactive (-ir) neurons in the BSTm increase their Fos expression selectively in response to positively-valenced social stimuli (i.e., stimuli that should elicit affiliation). Using male zebra finches, a highly gregarious estrildid, we now extend those findings to show that VT-Fos coexpression is induced by a positive social stimulus (a female), but not by a positive non-social stimulus (a water bath in bath-deprived birds), although the female and bath stimuli induced Fos equally within a nearby control region, the medial preoptic nucleus. In concurrent experiments, we also show that the properties of BSTm VT-ir neurons strongly differentiate males that diverge in social phenotype. Males who reliably fail to court females (“non-courters”) have dramatically fewer VT-ir neurons in the BSTm than do reliable courters, and the VT-ir neurons of non-courters fail to exhibit Fos induction in response to a female stimulus.     

Nicotine modulates multiple regions in the limbic stress network regulating activation of hypophysiotrophic neurons in hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus

Nicotine intake affects CNS responses to stressors. We reported that nicotine self-administration (SA) augmented the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) stress response, in part because of the altered neurotransmission and neuropeptide expression within hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Limbic-PVN interactions involving medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST) greatly impact the HPA stress response. Therefore, we investigated the effects of nicotine SA on stress-induced neuronal activation in limbic-PVN network, using c-Fos protein immunohistochemistry and retrograde tracing. Nicotine decreased stress-induced c-Fos in prelimbic cortex (PrL), anteroventral BST (avBST), and peri-PVN, but increased c-Fos induction in medial amygdala (MeA), locus coeruleus, and PVN. Fluoro-gold (FG) was injected into avBST or PVN, as GABAergic neurons in avBST projecting to PVN corticotrophin-releasing factor neurons relay information from both PrL glutamatergic and MeA GABAergic neurons. The stress-induced c-Fos expression in retrograde-labeled FG+ neurons was decreased in PrL by nicotine, but increased in MeA, and also reduced in avBST. Therefore, within limbic-PVN network, nicotine SA exerts selective regional effects on neuronal activation by stress. These findings expand the mechanistic framework by demonstrating altered limbic-BST-PVN interactions underlying the disinhibition of PVN corticotrophin-releasing factor neurons, an essential component of the amplified HPA response to stress by nicotine.     

Chemosensory and hormone information are relayed directly between the medial amygdala, posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and medial preoptic area in male Syrian hamsters

In many rodent species, including Syrian hamsters, the expression of appropriate social behavior depends critically on the perception and identification of conspecific odors. The behavioral response to these odors is mediated by a network of steroid-sensitive ventral forebrain nuclei including the medial amygdala (Me), posterior bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and medial preoptic area (MPOA). Although it is well-known that Me, BNST, and MPOA are densely interconnected and each uniquely modulates odor-guided social behaviors, the degree to which conspecific odor information and steroid hormone cues are directly relayed between these nuclei is unknown. To answer this question, we injected the retrograde tracer, cholera toxin B (CTB), into the BNST or MPOA of male subjects and identified whether retrogradely-labeled cells in Me and BNST 1) expressed immediate early genes (IEGs) following exposure to male and/or female odors or 2) expressed androgen receptor (AR). Although few retrogradely-labeled cells co-localized with IEGs, a higher percentage of BNST- and MPOA-projecting cells in the posterior Me (MeP) expressed IEGs in response to female odors than to male odors. The percentage of retrogradely-labeled cells that expressed IEGs did not, however, differ between and female and male odor-exposed groups in the anterior Me (MeA), posterointermediate BNST (BNSTpi), or posteromedial BNST (BNSTpm). Many retrogradely-labeled cells co-localized with AR, and a higher percentage of retrogradely-labeled MeP and BNSTpm cells expressed AR than retrogradely-labeled MeA and BNSTpi cells, respectively. Together, these data demonstrate that Me, BNST, and MPOA interact as a functional circuit to process sex-specific odor cues and hormone information in male Syrian hamsters.     

The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis has developmental and adult forms in mice,with the male bias in the developmental form being dependent on testicular AMH

Canonically, the sexual dimorphism in the brain develops perinatally, with adult sexuality emerging due to the activating effects of pubescent sexual hormones. This concept does not readily explain why children have a gender identity and exhibit sex-stereotypic behaviours. These phenomena could be explained if some aspects of the sexual brain networks have childhood forms, which are transformed at puberty to generate adult sexuality. The bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BNST) is a dimorphic nucleus that is sex-reversed in transsexuals but not homosexuals. We report here that the principal nucleus of the BNST (BNSTp) of mice has developmental and adult forms that are differentially regulated. In 20-day-old prepubescent mice, the male bias in the principal nucleus of the BNST (BNSTp) was moderate (360 ± 6 vs 288 ± 12 calbindin^+ ve neurons, p < 0.0001), and absent in mice that lacked a gonadal hormone, AMH. After 20 days, the number of BNSTp neurons increased in the male mice by 25% (p < 0.0001) and decreased in female mice by 15% (p = 0.0012), independent of AMH. Adult male AMH-deficient mice had a normal preference for sniffing female pheromones (soiled bedding), but exhibited a relative disinterest in both male and female pheromones. This suggests that male mice require AMH to undergo normal social development. The reported observations provide a rationale for examining AMH levels in children with gender identity disorders and disorders of socialization that involve a male bias.     

Projection from the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis to the retrorubral field in rats and the effects of cells in these areas on mating in male rats versus gerbils

This research identified the rat counterpart of the lateral cell group of the sexually dimorphic area (SDA) found in medial preoptic area (MPOA) gerbil of gerbils. The lateral SDA (lSDA) is critical for mating in male gerbils and contains most of the SDA cells projecting to the retrorubral field (RRF), a projection that is also important for mating. Therefore, to locate the counterpart of the lateral SDA, we traced the inputs to the rat RRF, which were dense in the ventral part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST). To determine if the ventral BST or its projection to the RRF affects mating in male rats, we disrupted them bilaterally by placing cell-body lesions bilaterally in the ventral BST or unilaterally there and in the contralateral RRF. We also studied the effects of RRF lesions in both rats and gerbils. Bilateral ventral BST lesions, which left the medial preoptic nucleus intact, produced persistent and severe mating deficits. Disconnecting the ventral BST from the RRF also had long-lasting, but less severe, consequences. RRF lesions produced only temporary mating deficits in rats, but virtually eliminated mating in gerbils. The recovery of mating in rats after RRF, but not ventral BST, lesions, and the intermediate effects of disconnecting these areas from each other suggest that the ventral BST may contain mating-related projection neurons other than those projecting to the RRF or that its RRF-projecting cells send collaterals to another site. In either case, the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus or raphe nuclei may be involved.