Analysis of spike discharge and character of interconnection of identified output neurons in the rat neostriatum

Two populations of neostriatal neurons projecting into the globus pallidus and two neuron populations projecting into the substantia nigra were identified by antidromic testing in acute experiments on immobilized rats. Statistical analysis showed that the firing patterns of the identified output neurons were of either the grouped or single type. Cross-correlation analysis of the spontaneous activity of two neurons, one projecting into the substantia nigra, the other into the globus pallidus, showed that activity of the second neuron was inhibited for 300–400 msec after spike generation by the first neuron.Institute of Biological Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Computer Research Center, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 14, No. 5, pp. 470–475, September–October, 1982.     

Propagation of excitation in surviving neocortical slices

Propagation of excitation was investigated in neocortical guinea-pig slices maintained in vitro. Stimuli were applied at different distances from the chosen neuron. A comparison between latencies of induced spike responses would point to complex structure and configuration of vertically oriented columnar array. Such arrays of relatively synchronously activated neurons have a narrow peak in layer II (of up to 300 µm), a broad central portion in layer V about 600 µm or above), and a narrower base in layer VI (of about 300 µm). Layer-by-layer diversity in excitation propagation was found within the array, moreover.Institute of Biological Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 22, No. 4, pp. 472–481, July–August, 1990.     

Effect of destruction of afferent inputs on spontaneous unit activity and character of neuronal interconnection in the rat neostriatum

The effect of destruction of afferent inputs on relations between types of spontaneous unit activity, its mean frequency, the distribution of minimal and maximal intervals, and the character of neuronal interconnection in the neostriatum was studied in acute experiments on rats immobilized with D-tubocurarine. In addition, spontaneous activity derived from neurons in slices of rat neostriatum was analyzed. Spontaneous activity of grouped type was not observed, and no positive symmetrical maxima in the zero region were present on graphs of cross-correlation function. The results of the investigation showed that the grouped type of spontaneous activity is determined by activity of the cortical input whereas activity of the thalamic input has a tendency to prevent the development of this type of neostriatal unit activity. Activation of the cortical input also was shown to be probably responsible for the presence of a positive symmetrical peak on the cross-correlation function graph for neurons with the grouped type of spontaneous activity.Institute of Biological Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Puchchino-on-Oka. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 16, No. 1, pp. 110–115, January–February, 1984.     

Role of cAMP in dopamine effect on background and glutamate-induced neuronal activity in rat neostriatum

During acute experiments on rats immobilized with d-tubocurarine, the effects were compared of microiontophoretically applied dopamine and dibutyryl cAMP on background and glutamate-induced spike activity of neostriatalneurons. The algorithm of the analysis of extracellularly recorded spike activity included the plotting of a graph of mean frequency, assessing its stationarity, and producing histograms of interspike intervals and also correlation function. During these experiments it was shown that dibutyryl cAMP imitates the inhibitory but not the activating effect of dopamine on the spontaneous and glutamate-induced spike activity of neostriatal neurons.Institute of Biological Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka, Moscow Province. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 17, No. 5, pp. 614–619, September–October, 1985.     

Comparison of direct influences of the perforant path on hippocampal CA1 and CA3 neurons in vitro

The efficiency of synapses of the perforant path located on terminals of apical dendrites of CA₁ and CA₃ neurons was investigated in sections of the guinea pig hippocampus in vitro. Neurons of both areas were shown to respond to stimulation of the perforant path by action potential generation. Responses of most CA₁ neurons appeared to repetitive stimulation with a frequency of up to 30–80/sec. Neurons in area CA₃ respond only to low-frequency stimulation (under 5/sec). Posttetanic potentiation of responses to stimulation of the perforant path was found in both areas of the hippocampus.Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 11, No. 4, pp. 303–310, July–August, 1979.     

Changes in distribution of synaptic vesicles in endings of cones during electrical stimulation of the retina

Conditions (hypoxia) were chosen under which, judging from the reduction in the responses of the horizontal cells to electrical stimulation of the retina, mediator is exhausted in the presynaptic endings of the photoreceptors. Under these circumstances a number of "small" synaptic vesicles were shown to be reduced in those parts of the cones which are in direct contact with presynaptic membranes. No significant changes were found in the total number of "small" vesicles in the cone endings.Institute for Problems of Information Transmission, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Institute of Biological Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 8, No. 6, pp. 620–623, November–December, 1976.     

Convergence of impulses on anterior hypothalamic neurons during local temperature stimulation of the skin

Unit responses in the medial preoptic region of the anterior hypothalamus and septum to local temperature stimulation of various parts of the skin were studied in chronic experiments on rabbits. The temperature of an area of skin on the back (zone I) and head (zone II) was altered by means of thermodes: heated to 38–40°C and cooled to 22–26°C. Of 111 neurons tested 21 responded to a change of skin temperature (mainly to cooling). Temperature-sensitive hypothalamic neurons were shown to react to temperature stimulation of both skin zones stimulated. The types of the responses recorded are described.I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 13, No. 4, pp. 365–370, July–August, 1981.     

Frequency characteristics of skate electroreceptive central neurons responding to electrical and magnetic stimulation

Responses of single neurons in the lateral lobes of the medulla to stimulation of the electroreceptive system by homogeneous sinusoidal electrical and magnetic fields were investigated in acute experiments on the skateRaja radiata. Thresholds of neuronal responses to electrical stimulation varied from 0.03 to 10 µV/cm. The optimal frequency ranges for electrical and magnetic reception were in the regions of 0.05–5 and 2–3 Hz respectively. The possible mechanisms and functional significance of frequency characteristics of central neurons are discussed.I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. All-Union Cardiologic Scientific Center, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 464–470, July–August, 1984.     

Modular organization of callosal neurons in the rabbit sensomotor cortex

The density of distribution of callosal neurons in the rabbit sensomotor cortex was studied by injecting horseradish peroxidase into the symmetrical region of the cortex. The degree of inequality of distribution of labeled neurons was determined visually and by statistical analysis. Stained callosal neurons were mainly small and medium-sized pyramidal cells, located chiefly in layer III–IV, and substantially less frequently in layers V and VI. Different forms of grouping of labeled neurons were observed in layer III–IV: two cells at a time, five to eight cells arranged vertically, or in concentrations, whose width was usually 120–200µ, and separated by areas with reduced density. The results are regarded as confirmation of those drawn previously from results of electrophysiological investigations on the modular organization of callosal connections in the rabbit sensomotor cortex.Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Brain Institute, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 451–457, July–August, 1984.     

Quantitative morphological charateristics of developing neurons of the brain-stem reticular formation

Two types of neurons — reticular (with few branches) and multipolar giant (densely ramified) were distinguished in the brain-stem reticular nuclei of the brain in Golgi preparations from cat fetuses aged 45–55 days and kittens aged 1–5 and 30 days. The quantitative morphological characteristics of these neurons at different stages of development were determined from the dimensions of their bodies, the number, length, and ramification of their dendrites, and the overall ramification of the cell. The types of neurons described above differed in both qualitative and quantitative indices and in the character of their maturation. Maximal ramification of dendrites of giant multipolar neurons was observed in the embryonic period. Foci of maximal ramification in reticular neurons were close to the cell bodies. In gaint multipolar neurons in fetuses and 30-day-old kittens foci of maximal ramification were located on the proximal and distal portions of the dendrites, but in the newborn kittens on the proximal segments only. These facts are examined in connection with differences in the spike activity of the growing neuron.Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Brain Institute, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 53–61, January–February, 1980.     

Electrophysiological indices of degree of functional integration between gratified neural tissue and the host brain

Neocortex from 17–18-day rat embryos was transplanted into the barrel-field cortical area in adult rats. Neuronal response to deflecting the vibrissae was tested in the graft 3–8 months afterwards. Nine out of 11 grafts showed a response to sensory stimulation. Irregular and asynchronous discharges predominated in neuronal background firing activity in these grafts. Generalized slow-wave activity had much in common with that occurring on the diametrically opposite site on the intact host brain cortex. Hypersynchronous volleys were detected in neurons of unresponsive grafts. A predominance of waves within the delta range while other rhythms remained only faint, together with epileptiform sharp spikes were seen in generalized activity. Histological treatment of responding grafts revealed close fusion between tissue and host brain. Non-responsive grafts were surronded by a thick glial scar.Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Institute of Neurobiology and Brain Research, E. German Academy of Sciences, Magdeburg, E. Germany. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 19, No. 4, pp. 498–504, July–August, 1987.     

Interaction between neurons displaying tonic response to sound and other cells of the feline auditory cortex

Interaction between neurons with a tonic response pattern and either nearby or further removed (by about 400–500 µm) cortical neurons was investigated during acute experiments on 15 immobilized cats using cross-correlation analysis techniques. Synchronizing excitatory input common to the nerve cells was found in cross-correlation histograms (CCH) in 26 out of 36 test pairs of neurons (72%). Both positive and negative cross-correlation (five pairs in each case) were discovered, pointing to mono- or polysynaptic excitatory and inhibitory effects of the tonic neuron on spike activity in the other cell from CCH of 10 pairs of neurons. The functional diversity of neurons f distinguished by a tonic pattern of response to sound was deduced on the basis of findings from this research. The theory that some tonic type cells act as excitatory neurons and others fulfil the function of inhibitory interneurons is examined.A. A. Bogomolets Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 21, No. 5, pp. 613–620, September–October, 1989.     

Investigation of heterosynaptic interactions in hippocampal areas CA1, and CA3 in vitro

Heterosynaptic interactions between synapses located at a considerable distance from the cell body (perforant path) and lying close to the body of the neuron (synapses of Schaffer's collaterals and axons of the dentate fascia) on guinea pig hippocampal neurons were investigatedin vitro. It was shown by the paired stimulus method that, using stimulation of subthreshold intensity for action potential generation, spatiotemporal summation takes place in both pairs of synaptic systems. If above-threshold stimulation was used, afferents lying close to the cell body suppressed responses evoked by stimulation of distant afferents for a longer time (up to 20 msec in area CA₁ and up to 300 msec in area CA₃) than during the opposite combination of stimuli (up to 3–8 msec). After tetanization of the dentate fascia depression of responses of area CA₃ neurons to stimulation of the perforant path was observed for 2–30 min. In the remaining cases, no significant prolonged heterosynaptic posttetanic changes were observed. The possible mechanisms of these interactions are discussed.Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 11, No. 6, pp. 524–532, November–December, 1979.     

Quantitative histochemical study of monoamine oxidase in the rabbit hippocampus

The distribution of monoamine oxidase activity in the rabbit hippocampus was studied by quantitative histochemical analysis. The presence of monoamine oxidase activity was found in str. lacunosum-moleculare of areas CA₁ and CA₂ of the hippocampus and in str. moleculare of the dentate fascia. A strong positive reaction was found in layers containing many myelinated fibers (the alveus and Shaffer's collaterals). However, when the reaction was carried out without substrate, considerable deposition of diformazan was observed in these layers. These observations and the ability of myelin to reduce nitro-BT spontaneously, described in the literature, suggest that the positive Glenner's reaction in the alveus and Shaffer's collaterals is not specific. The deposition of diformazan in the layer of pyramidal and granular neurons likewise is nonspecific, as is confirmed by the results of experiments with preincubation in iproniazid and with incubation without substrate.Institute of Biological Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 135–141, March–April, 1977.     

Unit activity of the septum and hippocampus transplanted alone or together into the anterior chamber of the rat eye

Unit activity of grafts of the septum and hippocampus, developing for 3–6 months in the anterior chamber of the eye was investigated in acute experiments on curarized orcerveau isolé rats. Whereas neurons in the transplanted septum had spontaneous activity of irregular, regular, or rhythmic bursting type, activity was absent in hippocampal grafts or consisted of very infrequent synchronized population sites. If grafts of the septum and hippocampus developed together and contact was established between them, the same types of activity developed in the hippocampus as in the septum. In many paired grafts spontaneous epileptic phenomena were observed; they were easily provoked also by electrical stimulation of one of the grafts. Superfusion with medium with a high Mg⁺⁺ concentration and low Ca⁺⁺ concentration abolished spontaneous activity in most neurons of hippocampal but not septal grafts, and also suppressed some of the epileptic phenomena, evidence of the leading role of the septum in the organization of spontaneous hippocampal unit activity.Institute of Biological Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 61–69, January–February, 1985.     

Background activity pattern of guinea pig septal neurons in vitro

Activity of medial septum-diagonal band cells (MS-DB neurons) was investigated in slices of guinea pig septum. Four types of activity were distinguished on the basis of interspike interval distribution and coefficient of variation (CV): extremely regular (CV<0.3), regular (CV>0.3<0.7), irregular (CV>0.7), and rhythmic bursting patterns. Activity of cells belonging to the first group was resistant to superfusion with a medium low in Ca²⁺ and high in Mg²⁺ which produces blockade of synaptic effects. The same applied to a percentage of neurons with a rhythmic bursting pattern. Activity pattern of Mg²⁺-resistant bursting cells also remained unchanged by the effects of GABA and acetylcholine antagonists. It is concluded that cells with properties of regular and bursting endogenous pacemakers are found in the MS-DB.Institute of Biophysics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 19, No. 5, pp. 586–595, September–October, 1987.     

Anesthesia effect on rabbit hypothalamic neuron impulse activity

Neuronal impulse activity in the thermoregulation center in the anterior and posterior sections of the rabbit hypothalamus was studied in chronic experiments and in intravenously injected anesthetics (urethane and chloralose). Anesthesia decreased the neuronal firing rate, changed the impulse activity pattern, and decreased the number of neurons responding to skin thermal stimulation. These changes were most pronounced in the posterior hypothalamic section.I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 23, No. 5, pp. 574–579, September–October, 1991.     

Spontaneous unit activity in the rabbit limbic cortex

Spontaneous unit activity in different parts of the limbic cortex, recorded extracellularly in waking rabbits during chronic experiments, was analyzed. Attention was paid particularly to unit activity in theta- and delta-rhythms. Theta-modulation was found in a small proportion (5–12%) of neurons in all parts except the lateral entorhinal cortex. Delta-activity was found in all structures tested but its characteristics varied. In the subiculum (45% of neurons) it consists of short, high-frequency discharges with long pauses, in the entorhinal cortex (22%) opposite characteristics were found (long loosely packed bursts with short intervals between them). Activating influences raised the frequency and increased the resistance of the theta component and desynchronized the delta volleys in the subiculum and most other structures; in the entorhinal cortex under these circumstances the density of the volleys of spikes was increased but without any change in their frequency or regularity. The spectral composition of unit activity in the presubiculum was mixed. The nature of rhythmic modulation of unit activity in areas of the limbic cortex is discussed.Institute of Biological Physics, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Pushchino-on-Oka. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 16, No. 6, pp. 753–760, November–December, 1984.     

Involvement of thalamic neurons and the striopallidal complex in maintaining constancy of visual perception in the human brain

Neuronal activity was investigated in different thalamic nuclei and the striopallidal complex in parkinsonian patients with long-term implantation of intracerebral electrodes in the structures concerned for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. Directionally selective neurons were found with consistent response to presentation of visual stimuli oriented at the same angle in a variety of (spatial) head positions differing by 90°.Institute of Experimental Medicine, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 21, No. 1, pp. 93–101, January–February, 1989.     

Changes in RNA content in neurons of the superior olivary complex during monaural and binaural stimulation

The character of binaural competitive connections at the level of the superior olive was investigated cytospectrophotometrically in cats. As a result of monaural stimulation for 2 h or binaural stimulation for 1.5 h by rhythmic noise signal the RNA content in the neurons of the ipsilateral and contralateral medial and lateral nuclei increased significantly. The volume of functioning neurons in the nuclei studied either increased or remained the same as in the control. The increase in the RNA content in neurons of both the ipsilateral and contralateral medial and lateral nuclei suggests a uniform distribution of binaurally converging connections on the neurons of these nuclei. The results also suggest that the accumulation of cytoplasmic RNA takes place in response not only to excitation, but also to inhibition.I. P. Pavlov Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Leningrad. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 10, No. 1, pp. 67–74, January–February, 1978.