Acetyl-DL-leucine对猫单侧前庭神经切断后运动平衡能力和前庭外侧核神经元放电活动恢复的影响

本文观测了Ａｃｅｔｙｌ－ＤＬ－ｌｅｕｃｉｎｅ（ＡＬ、一种抗眩晕药）对猫单侧前庭神经切断后前庭代偿的影响。结果显示：ＡＬ加快术后猫在转动横梁测试中运动平衡能力的恢复,但抑制去传入前庭外侧核神经元（ｎ＝５０６）静息自发放电频率的恢复。ＡＬ促进放电活动与头部左右摆动体位相关的神经元数量和比例的恢复,从术后的第１周的１０％（ｎ＝４５４）,逐渐提高到术后第３周的６０％,第５周的７５％     

原位杂交检测大鼠前庭代偿中GAP-43 mRNA水平

用ＤＩＧ标记的ＧＡＰ－４３ｃＤＮＡ为探针,以大鼠海马切片作阳性对照,使用原位杂交方法检测了大鼠迷路损毁５,１２,２０和３０ｄ后前庭核区ＧＡＰ－４３ｍＲＮＡ水平的变化,结果表明,迷路损毁后前庭核区ｍＲＮＡ水平升高,原位杂交的应用,为前庭代偿中轴突发芽,突触重组的神经可塑性研究打下了方法学基础。     

迷路损伤增强大鼠前庭内侧核生长相关蛋白mRNA水平

前庭代偿是研究神经可塑性的一个理想模型。生长相关蛋白（ＧＡＰ－４３）在神经再生和突触重组中起重要作用。用ＤＩＧ标记的ＧＡＰ－４３ ｃＤＮＡ片段作探针进行原位杂交,检测了大鼠迷路损伤５、１２、２０和３０ｄ后前庭内侧核ＧＡＰ－ｍＲＮＡ表达的变化。结果表明,迷路损毁后两侧前庭内侧核ＧＡＰ－４３ｍＲＮＡ的水平以不同的幅度和时程明显升高。这一结果表示,ＧＡＰ－４３ｍＲＮＡ水平的提高可能与前庭代偿中突触重组和     

L－NNA及NO供体对延髓腹外侧头端区神经元自发放电的影响

在麻醉大鼠观察了静注ＮＯ合成酶抑制剂Ｎ－硝基左旋精氨酸（Ｌ－ＮＮＡ）和ＮＯ供体──硝普钠（ＳＮＰ）和ＳＩＮ－Ｉ对血压、心率和延髓腹外侧头端区（ＲＶＬＭ）神经元自发放电活动的影响,旨在探讨Ｌ－ａｒｇ：ＮＯ通路对动脉血压调节的中枢作用部位。所得结果如下：（１）静注Ｌ－ＮＮＡ后,平均动脉压（ＭＡＰ）升高,心率（ＨＲ）加快,１１个ＲＶＬＭ神经元自发放电频率增加。这些变化发生于给药后５ｍｉｎ,持续时间达３０ｍｉｎ以上。（２）静注ＳＮＰ后,ＭＡＰ降低,ＨＲ加快,２３个ＲＶＬＭ神经元自发放电频率降低,且有剂量依赖性。ＳＮＰ作用发生快,持续时间短。为了排除脑缺血的影响,还特意向一侧颈动脉内注射相同剂量ＳＮＰ,结果引起ＭＡＰ轻度降低,而ＨＲ无明显改变,但ＲＶＬＭ神经元自发放电频率仍显著降低。（３）静注另一ＮＯ供体ＳＩＮ－Ｉ后,ＭＡＰ降低,１１个ＲＶＬＭ神经元自发放电频率降低．与ＳＮＰ的效应基本一致。以上结果提示,ＲＶＬＭ是Ｌ－ａｒｇ：ＮＯ通路实现动脉血压调节的一个中枢作用部位。     

血管紧张素Ⅱ在脊髓水平对吗啡作用的影响

本工作以玻璃微电极记录脊髓腰段（Ｌ２－３）背角神经元电活动,观察血管紧张素Ⅱ（ＡⅡ）对其伤害性诱发放电的影响,并探讨ＡⅡ与吗啡抑制效应的相互关系。结果表明,ＡⅡ５０－５００ｎｇ脊髓表面微量滴注对背角神经元伤害性诱发放电主要为抑制效应,而ＡⅡ２μｇ为易化效应;注射吗啡（５ｍｇ／ｋｇ,ｉｐ）后１０ｍｈ;ＡⅡ２５０ｎｇ脊髓表面微量滴注不能对抗吗啡的抑制作用,而ＡⅡ２一４μｇ则能部分或完全抵消吗啡对背角神经元伤害性诱发放电的抑制作用。本工作提示,ＡⅡ可调制脊髓背角神经元对外周传入的伤害性反应;较大剂量ＡⅡ可对抗吗啡对伤害性诱发放电的抑制作用。     

单侧前庭神经切断后猫运动方式的改变和补偿

本工作首次将一种运动分析系统,即视觉自动电视摄相信息处理系统（ｏｐｔｉｃａｌａｕｔｏｍａｔｉｃＴＶ－ｉｍａｇｅｐｒｏｃｅｓｓｏｒ,Ｅ．Ｌ．Ｉ．Ｔ．Ｅｓｙｓｔｅｍ）用于动物运动方式的定量分析,比较了猫一侧前庭神经切断前后在跨越转动横梁测试中运动方式的变化。结果如下：在横梁静止条件下,猫述后行走的初始身高明显下降,步距变短,步 频降低,呈缓慢的蹒中山步态,继而各参量逐渐增加,分别在术后４５和７０ｄ恢复     

隔区和第Ⅲ脑室注射精氨酸加压素对家兔视前区—下丘脑前…

为了研究精氨酸加压素（ＡＶＰ）的抗热机理,本研究观察了家兔隔区和第Ⅲ脑室微量注射ＡＶＰ对视前区－下丘脑前部（ＰＯ－ＡＨ）温度敏感神经元放电的影响。结果如下：（１）隔区注射ＡＶＰ能使ＰＯ－ＡＨ热敏神经元放电明显增加,冷敏神经元放电明显减少。（２）第Ⅲ脑室注射ＡＶＰ只能使部分ＰＯ－ＡＨ热敏神经元放电增加,冷敏神经元放电减少;而另外一部分热敏神经元和冷敏神经元则出现相反的效应。实验结果表明,隔区注射ＡＶ     

L—arg斤LNNA对大鼠胸主动脉内皮损伤后舒缩反应及cGMP…

本研究在大鼠胸主动脉内皮损伤内膜增生模型上观察了Ｌ－ａｒｇ和ＬＮＮＡ对大鼠胸主动脉条的血管反应性及ｃＧＭＰ含量的影响。血管反应性观察及血管局部ｃＧＭＰ测定发现,大鼠胸主动脉内皮损伤后３天对－ａｒｇ及ＬＮＮＡ的舒缩反应明显受损,血管局部基础ｃＧＭＰ明显下降,用Ｌ－ａｒｇ和ＬＮＮＡ干预后的ｃＧＭＰ变化亦明显受损,损伤后１０天以上现象明显恢复,损伤后２１天进一步恢复,但仍不能恢复正常。结果表明,内皮损伤     

一氧化氮对谷氨酸诱发的大鼠海马脑片CA1区神经元活动的抑制

用细胞外记录单位放电技术,在大鼠海马脑片上观察了Ｌ－精氨酸（Ｌ－ａｒｇ）、Ｎ－硝基Ｌ－精氨酸（Ｌ－ＮＮＡ）及ＳＩＮ－１对谷氨酸（ｇｌｕｔａｍａｔｅ,Ｇｌｕ）诱导的ＣＡ１区神经元放电的影响。旨在了解Ｌ－精氨酸：ＮＯ通路在谷氨酸诱发的海马放电中的作用及其可能的机制。结果如下：（１）用ＧｌＵ（０．５ｍｍｏｌ／Ｌ）灌流海马脑片１ｍｉｎ,１２个放电单位放电频率明显增加,表现为癫痫样放电;（２）海马脑片２ｍｉ     

前庭代偿：研究中枢神经系统可塑性的一个理想模型

前庭代偿是一个研究神经系统损伤后机制修复和替代的理想模型,这个模型在中枢神经系统可塑性和机能恢复的研究机具有普遍意义,本文综述了有关前庭代偿的电生理学,生物化学和分子神经生物学的研究现状,还特别讨论了在前庭代偿中神经生长相关蛋白（ＧＡＰ－４３）ｍＲＮＡ的表达以及银杏叶提取物在前庭代偿过程中的促进作用。     

Input/output properties of the lateral vestibular nucleus

This article is a review of work in three species, squirrel monkey, cat, and rat studying the inputs and outputs from the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN). Different electrophysiological shock paradigms were used to determine the synaptic inputs derived from thick to thin diameter vestibular nerve afferents. Angular and linear mechanical stimulations were used to activate and study the combined and individual contribution of inner ear organs and neck afferents. The spatio-temporal properties of LVN neurons in the decerebrated rat were studied in response to dynamic acceleration inputs using sinusoidal linear translation in the horizontal head plane. Outputs were evaluated using antidromic identification techniques and identified LVN neurons were intracellularly injected with biocytin and their morphology studied.     

Convergence of neck and macular vestibular inputs on vestibulospinal neurons projecting to the lumbosacral segments of the spinal cord

The activity of LVN neurons was recorded in decerebrate cats and analyzed during separate stimulation of macular vestibular and neck receptors elicited by sinusoidal rotation about the longitudinal axis at 0.026 Hz, 10 degrees peak amplitude. Of 119 LVN units examined, the great majority, i.e. 106, were vestibulospinal neurons antidromically identified following stimulation of the spinal cord at T12-L1, thus projecting to the lumbosacral segments of the spinal cord (IVS neurons); the remaining 13 units were nonantidromically activated. Among the 119 LVN neurons, 77 (64.7%) responded with a periodic modulation of their firing rate to roll tilt of the animal and 81 (68.1%) responded to neck rotation. Convergence of macular and neck inputs was found in 58/119 (48.7%) lateral vestibular neurons; in these units, the gain as well as the sensitivity of the first harmonic of responses corresponded on the average to 0.58 +/- 0.45, S.D. imp./sec/deg and 4.39 +/- 3.58, S.D.%/deg for the neck responses and 0.52 +/- 0.49, S.D. imp./sec/deg and 3.85 +/- 3.35, S.D.%/deg for the macular responses, respectively. In addition to these convergent units, 19/119 (16.0%) and 23/119 (19.3%) lateral vestibular units responded to selective stimulation either of macular receptors or of neck receptors only. These units, which showed on the average an higher firing rate and a lower conduction velocity of the corresponding vestibulospinal axons than the convergent units, displayed a significantly lower response gain and sensitivity to animal tilt and neck rotation with respect to those obtained from convergent units. Most of the convergent lateral vestibular units were maximally excited by the direction of stimulus orientation, the first harmonic of responses showing an average phase lead of +51.4 degrees with respect to neck position and +21.9 degrees with respect to animal position. Two populations of convergent neurons were observed. The first group of units (53/58, i.e. 91.4%) showed reciprocal ("out-of-phase") responses to the two inputs in that they were mainly excited during side-down animal tilt and side-up neck rotation. The remaining group of units (5/58, i.e. 8.6%) showed parallel ("in phase") responses to the two inputs and they were mainly excited by side-up neck rotation and animal tilt. Interestingly, the former group of units displayed an average gain and sensitivity to the labyrinth and neck inputs which were more than twice higher than the values obtained from the latter group of units.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Neurogenic potential of the vestibular nuclei and behavioural recovery time course in the adult cat are governed by the nature of the vestibular damage

Functional and reactive neurogenesis and astrogenesis are observed in deafferented vestibular nuclei after unilateral vestibular nerve section in adult cats. The newborn cells survive up to one month and contribute actively to the successful recovery of posturo-locomotor functions. This study investigates whether the nature of vestibular deafferentation has an incidence on the neurogenic potential of the vestibular nuclei, and on the time course of behavioural recovery. Three animal models that mimic different vestibular pathologies were used: unilateral and permanent suppression of vestibular input by unilateral vestibular neurectomy (UVN), or by unilateral labyrinthectomy (UL, the mechanical destruction of peripheral vestibular receptors), or unilateral and reversible blockade of vestibular nerve input using tetrodotoxin (TTX). Neurogenesis and astrogenesis were revealed in the vestibular nuclei using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) as a newborn cell marker, while glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and glutamate decarboxylase 67 (GAD67) were used to identify astrocytes and GABAergic neurons, respectively. Spontaneous nystagmus and posturo-locomotor tests (static and dynamic balance performance) were carried out to quantify the behavioural recovery process. Results showed that the nature of vestibular loss determined the cellular plastic events occurring in the vestibular nuclei and affected the time course of behavioural recovery. Interestingly, the deafferented vestibular nuclei express neurogenic potential after acute and total vestibular loss only (UVN), while non-structural plastic processes are involved when the vestibular deafferentation is less drastic (UL, TTX). This is the first experimental evidence that the vestibular complex in the brainstem can become neurogenic under specific injury. These new data are of interest for understanding the factors favouring the expression of functional neurogenesis in adult mammals in a brain repair perspective, and are of clinical relevance in vestibular pathology.     

Dynamics of the background impulse activity of neurons of the lateral vestibular nucleus in the norm and under vibrational influence

The background impulse activity (BIA) generated by neurons of the right lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) of rats in the norm and under conditions of long-lasting general vibrational stimulation was subjected to computer analysis. Statistically significant changes in intragroup values of the mean BIA frequency were observed after 5 and 10 days with 2-h-long sessions of vibrational stimulation. Significant shifts in the distributions of LVN neurons by the level of regularity and dynamic types of BIA were observed 10 and 15 days with vibrational influences. Trends toward return of the intragroup mean value of the BIA frequency to the initial level were noticeable at the end of the stimulation period (15 days). Neirofiziologiya/Neurophysiology, Vol. 37, Nos. 5/6, pp. 424–431, September–December, 2005.     

Molecular mechanisms of Brainstem plasticity

Vestibular compensation is the process of behavioral recovery that occurs following unilateral deafferentation of the vestibular nerve fibers (unilateral labyrinthectomy, UL). Since UL results in a permanent loss of vestibular input from the ipsilateral vestibular (VIIIth) nerve, vestibular compensation is attributed to CNS plasticity and has been used as a general model of lesion-induced CNS plasticity. Behavioral recovery from the ocular motor and postural symptoms of UL is correlated with a partial return of resting activity to neurons in the vestibular nucleus (VN) on the deafferented side (the "deafferented VN"), and lesions to the deafferented VN prevent compensation; therefore, the regeneration of resting activity within the deafferented VN is believed to have a causal role in vestibular compensation. The biochemical mechanisms responsible for the adaptive neuronal changes within the deafferented VN are poorly understood. Neuropeptide hormone fragments, such as adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)-4-10, have been shown to accelerate vestibular compensation and can act directly on some VN neurons in vitro. Antagonists for the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor have been shown to inhibit vestibular compensation if administered early in the compensation process. Biochemical studies in frog indicate marked alterations in the phosphorylation patterns of several proteins during compensation, and the in vitro phosphorylation of some of these proteins is modulated by ACTH-(1-24), calcium (Ca2+), and calmodulin or protein kinase C. It is therefore possible that ACTH fragments and NMDA antagonists (via their effects on NMDA receptor-mediated Ca2+ channels) modulate vestibular compensation through their action on Ca(2+)-dependent pathways within VN neurons. Recent studies have shown that some Ca2+ channel antagonists and the Ca(2+)-dependent enzyme inhibitor calmidazolium chloride facilitate vestibular compensation. How the regulation of Ca2+ may be related to the neuronal changes responsible for vestibular compensation is unclear at present.     

Discovering a new functional neurogenic zone: the vestibular nuclei of the brainstem

The adult mammal brain is mostly considered as non-neurogenic, except in the subventricular zone of the lateral ventricles and the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus, where ongoing neurogenesis occurs. However, anti-neurogenic influences can be removed in pathological conditions or after specific injury. That is what happens in a model of unilateral vestibular neurectomy (UVN) that mimics human pathology in adult cats. We showed for the first time that a UVN promoted an intense reactive cell proliferation in the deafferented vestibular nuclei located in the brainstem. The new cells survived up to one month, differentiated into glial cells - microglia or astrocytes - or GABAergic neurons, so highlighting a GABAergic neurogenesis. Surprisingly, we further showed that post-UVN reactive cell proliferation contributed successfully to fine restoration of vestibular posturo-locomotor functions. In conclusion, these pioneering studies bring new pieces of a promising puzzle in both stem cell and vestibular therapy domains.     

Acoustic overexposure increases the expression of VGLUT-2 mediated projections from the lateral vestibular nucleus to the dorsal cochlear nucleus

The dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) is a first relay of the central auditory system as well as a site for integration of multimodal information. Vesicular glutamate transporters VGLUT-1 and VGLUT-2 selectively package glutamate into synaptic vesicles and are found to have different patterns of organization in the DCN. Whereas auditory nerve fibers predominantly co-label with VGLUT-1, somatosensory inputs predominantly co-label with VGLUT-2. Here, we used retrograde and anterograde transport of fluorescent conjugated dextran amine (DA) to demonstrate that the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) exhibits ipsilateral projections to both fusiform and deep layers of the rat DCN. Stimulating the LVN induced glutamatergic synaptic currents in fusiform cells and granule cell interneurones. We combined the dextran amine neuronal tracing method with immunohistochemistry and showed that labeled projections from the LVN are co-labeled with VGLUT-2 by contrast to VGLUT-1. Wistar rats were exposed to a loud single tone (15 kHz, 110 dB SPL) for 6 hours. Five days after acoustic overexposure, the level of expression of VGLUT-1 in the DCN was decreased whereas the level of expression of VGLUT-2 in the DCN was increased including terminals originating from the LVN. VGLUT-2 mediated projections from the LVN to the DCN are likely to play a role in the head position in response to sound. Amplification of VGLUT-2 expression after acoustic overexposure could be a compensatory mechanism from vestibular inputs in response to hearing loss and to a decrease of VGLUT-1 expression from auditory nerve fibers.     

Expression of c-jun in the lateral vestibular nucleus following spinal cord injury and peripheral nerve graft transplantation in adult rats

Brain Cell Biology - The time course of c-jun expression and the effect of a peripheral nerve (PN) graft on axonal regeneration and c-jun expression in the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) were...     

Bilateral otolith contribution to spatial coding in the vestibular system

Recent work on the coding of spatial information in central otolith neurons has significantly advanced our knowledge of signal transformation from head-fixed otolith coordinates to space-centered coordinates during motion. In this review, emphasis is placed on the neural mechanisms by which signals generated at the bilateral labyrinths are recognized as gravity-dependent spatial information and in turn as substrate for otolithic reflexes. We first focus on the spatiotemporal neuronal response patterns (i.e. one- and two-dimensional neurons) to pure otolith stimulation, as assessed by single unit recording from the vestibular nucleus in labyrinth-intact animals. These spatiotemporal features are also analyzed in association with other electrophysiological properties to evaluate their role in the central construction of a spatial frame of reference in the otolith system. Data derived from animals with elimination of inputs from one labyrinth then provide evidence that during vestibular stimulation signals arising from a single utricle are operative at the level of both the ipsilateral and contralateral vestibular nuclei. Hemilabyrinthectomy also revealed neural asymmetries in spontaneous activity, response dynamics and spatial coding behavior between neuronal subpopulations on the two sides and as a result suggested a segregation of otolith signals reaching the ipsilateral and contralateral vestibular nuclei. Recent studies have confirmed and extended previous observations that the recovery of resting activity within the vestibular nuclear complex during vestibular compensation is related to changes in both intrinsic membrane properties and capacities to respond to extracellular factors. The bilateral imbalance provides the basis for deranged spatial coding and motor deficits accompanying hemilabyrinthectomy. Taken together, these experimental findings indicate that in the normal state converging inputs from bilateral vestibular labyrinths are essential to spatiotemporal signal transformation at the central otolith neurons during low-frequency head movements.