胃动素受体激动剂红霉素对大鼠下丘脑葡萄糖反应神经元的作用

目的:通过观察胃动素受体激动剂红霉素对大鼠下丘脑中葡萄糖反应神经元电活动的影响,探讨中枢胃动素对摄食活动调控的机制.方法:应用细胞外记录神经元单位放电的方法,记录麻醉大鼠LHA及VMH的神经元电活动.左颈总动脉注射0.56 mol/L葡萄糖溶液0.2 ml鉴别GSNs及GRNs;侧脑室注射红霉素4 μg,观察其对葡萄糖反应神经元及非葡萄糖反应神经元自发放电频率的影响;侧脑室注射GM-109(胃动素受体拮抗剂)与红霉素的混合剂(1:50的比例配制),观察上述效应是否可重复出现.结果:在LHA,红霉素对GSNs有明显的兴奋作用,与其对该核团NGSNs的作用相比较,差别有统计学意义(P＜0.05);在VMH,红霉素对GRNs有明显的抑制作用,与其对该核团NGRNs的作用相比较,差别有统计学意义(P＜0.01).对红霉素有反应的神经元在给予GM-109和红霉素的混合剂后,神经元的放电频率无明显变化.结论:胃动素受体激动剂红霉素可兴奋LHA-GSNs同时抑制VMH-GRNs,这一途径可能是中枢胃动素促进摄食活动的神经调节机制之一.     

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     

不同睡眠剥夺时间对大鼠下丘脑内单胺类神经递质的影响

目的:探讨不同睡眠剥夺时间对大鼠认知功能的影响以及对下丘脑内单胺类神经递质去甲肾上腺素、多巴胺、五羟吲哚乙酸、五羟色胺的含量的影响。方法:32只健康雄性wistar大鼠随机分为4组,即96 h、120 h、144 h睡眠剥夺,正常对照组。利用睡眠剥夺箱建立大鼠SD模型,避暗穿梭法测试大鼠认知功能,高效液相电化学检测法测定下丘脑内单胺类神经递质含量。结果:大鼠避暗穿梭实验,与对照组比较,96 h、120 h组大鼠潜伏期显著缩短(P0.05);与对照组比较,各组大鼠下丘脑内NA含量均有下降(P0.05);与对照组比较,各组大鼠下丘脑内DA含量均显著下降,(P0.01),96 h、120 h、144 h组间比较,表现出含量逐渐减少的趋势;与对照组比较,各组5-HIAA含量均有上升,且120 h组明显高于其他各组(P0.05),其他组无显著性差异(P0.05);与对照组比较,各组5-HT含量均有升高,120 h、144 h组显著升高(P0.01),96 h组无显著性(P0.05)。结论:睡眠剥夺可以使大鼠中枢NA、DA含量下降,5-HIAA、5-HT含量升高,且随着睡眠剥夺时间的延长,变化更为明显,这可能是睡眠剥夺损害认知功能的原因之一。     

新生大鼠下丘脑神经元发育过程中膜特性变化

大鼠出生后下丘脑神经元温度敏感性逐步升高,采用电流钳技术发现,膜被动特性在出生后18 d内变化显著,同时峰电位升高,动作电位间期延长,前电位及后电位均有明显的变化,大多数神经元表现为单次放电.这些结果表明发育过程中离子通道的密度和活动特性发生了改变,同时温度敏感性与突触特性存在着一定的关系.     

下丘脑局部损毁对大鼠双侧催产素神经元爆发放电的影响

为探究授乳大鼠双侧下丘脑巨细胞催产素神经元同步化射乳反射爆发放电的中枢所中,我们采用双微电极细胞外记录技术,观察了选择性脑切割损毁后的大鼠双侧视上核内催们素神经元在仔鼠吸吮刺激下射乳反射爆发放电。结果显示：在腹侧这画以上横向民单侧中脑中部,不同能阻断双侧催产素神经元的同步化爆发放 单侧下丘脑中间内侧部横切则可阻断这种经爆发放电。这些结果表明;中脑中部至一丘脑中部这一脑区在双侧视上核内催产素神经元的     

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。     

不同的下丘脑肽和神经递质对鲤鱼促性腺激素和生物激素分泌活动的影响

以１龄性腺发育中期鲤鱼为材料,采用腹腔注射的方法,研究了不同的下丘脑肽和神经递质对鲤鱼促性腺激素和生长激素分泌的影响。结果表明：促甲状腺激素释放激素,Ｌ－多巴,甲基睾酮,γ－氨基丁酸,促黄体素主激素类似物和三磺甲状腺原氨酸者都能显著刺激ＧｔＨ的分泌,但最大效应时间各不相同。     

下丘脑Orexin神经元对呼吸活动的调节

半个世纪前,就有报道提示来自下丘脑外侧区的电脉冲可刺激呼吸。近年研究显示,下丘脑对呼吸的调节可能起源于下丘脑的Orexin神经元,其神经纤维投射到有Orexin受体分布的脑干呼吸中枢,微量注射Orexin于脑干呼吸中枢可刺激呼吸。在Orexin基因敲除的小鼠上,CO2引起呼吸增加的反应变弱,且使自发性睡眠呼吸暂停发生的频率增加。更有意义的发现是,下丘脑Orexin神经元能感受细胞外H+和CO2的变化,起到中枢化学感受器的作用而调节呼吸活动。本文简述Orexin的生物学特点,着重对呼吸活动的调节,以及参与相关呼吸系统疾病的病理生理过程作一综述。     

Effects of excitatory amino acids on inositol phosphate accumulation in slices of the cerebral cortex of young and aged rats

The effects of glutamate, NMDA and quisqualate on carbachol-and norepinephrine-elicited formation of inositol phosphate (IP) were evaluated in slices prepared from the cerebral cortex of 3-and 24-month Sprague-Dawley rats. Glutamate, NMDA, and quisqualate antagonized the IP response to carbachol in a concentration-dependent fashion. This antagonism was more pronounced in aged than in young rats, both for glutamate (IC5O 0.114 and 0.210 mM) and NMDA (IC5O 0.0029 and 0.127 mM), but not for quisqualate. Glutamate (but not NMDA) also antagonized in a concentration-dependent fashion the IP response to norepinephrine, IC50s were 0.061 and 0.126 mM for aged and young rats, respectively; quisqualate had an inhibitory effect only at 1 mM concentration in the two age-groups, while in aged rats some stimulatory effect was present at 0.1 mM concentration. Glutamate, NMDA and quisqualate (1 mM) did not affect basal IP accumulation in either young or aged rats; quisqualate, however, at 0.1 mM concentration had some stimulatory effect, more pronounced in aged rats. This effect was probably responsible for the biphasic effect of quisqualate in this age-group. The most important finding consists of the demonstration of an age-related increase in the inhibitory effects of NMDA on carbachol-induced IP accumulation. This implies an altered modulation of cholinergic post-receptor mechanisms by glutamatergic mechanisms.     

Effects of endogenous pyrogen and prostaglandin E2 on hypothalamic neurons in rat brain slices

We investigated the effects of endogenous pyrogen and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic (POAH) neurons using brain slice preparations from the rat. Partially purified endogenous pyrogen did not change the activities of most of the neurons in the POAH region when applied locally through a micropipette attached to the recording electrode in proximity to the neurons. This indicates that partially purified endogenous pyrogen does not act directly on the neuronal activity in the POAH region. The partially purified endogenous pyrogen, applied into a culture chamber containing a brain slice, facilitated the activities in 24% of the total neurons tested, regardless of the thermal specificity of the neurons. Moreover, PGE2 added to the culture chamber facilitated 48% of the warm-responsive, 33% of the cold-responsive, and 29% of the thermally insensitive neurons. The direction of change in neuronal activity induced by partially purified endogenous pyrogen appears to be almost the same as that induced by PGE2 when these substances were applied by perfusion to the same neuron in the culture chamber. These results suggest that partially purified pyrogen applied to the perfusate of the culture chamber stimulates some constituents of brain tissue to synthesize and release prostaglandin, which in turn affects the neuronal activity of the POAH region.     

Ethanol effects on temperature-sensitive hypothalamic neurons in rat brain slices

1. We recorded impulse activity of thermosensitive hypothalamic neurons in rat brain slices during superfusion with ethanol at constant temperatures and during slow sinusoidal temperature changes.

2. At constant temperatures of 37 °C, ethanol application typically induced a triphasic change of the firing rate: An initial excitation turned into complete inhibition followed by spontaneous recovery to higher firing rates.

3. Ethanol application increased the neurons’ temperature sensitivity remarkably.

4. Our data indicate complex neuromodulatory effects of ethanol with different time delays which interfere with basic mechanisms of temperature transduction.

Effects of endogenous pyrogen and prostaglandin E2 on hypothalamic neurons in guinea pig brain slices

To investigate the direct effects of endogenous pyrogen (EP) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on the activity of neurons in the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic (PO-AH) region, single-unit activity was recorded from brain tissue slices prepared from the PO-AH region of guinea pigs. When EP was applied into the perfusate 18% of warm-responsive neurons decreased their activity, and 23% of warm-responsive neurons increased their activity. Most of the thermally insensitive neurons did not respond to EP. PGE2 inhibited 29% of warm-responsive neurons and facilitated 15% of them. Moreover, when EP and PGE2 were applied to the same neurons at different times, the same directions of changes in neuronal activity were observed in 72% of total neurons examined. These results suggest that EP and PGE2 change the neuronal activity of the thermoresponsive neurons in the PO-AH region involved in fever induction. However, by these results, the direction of neuronal response induced by these substances could not be generally categorized based on the thermoresponsiveness of the individual neuron.     

Intracellular electrophysiology of mammalian peptidergic neurons in rat hypothalamic slices

The magnocellular neuropeptidergic cells (MNCs) of the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei have been a model for biochemical and physiological studies of peptidergic neurons in the mammalian brain, but nearly all the electrophysiological studies of these vasopressinergic and oxytocinergic neuroendocrine cells are based on extracellular recordings. This paper reviews recent literature on electrophysiological properties of neurons in the magnocellular nuclei in which the rat in vitro slice preparation and intracellular recording were used. Spontaneously occurring action potentials and synaptic potentials (excitatory and inhibitory) have been observed in hypothalamic slices. The spike patterns have included slow and irregular firing, short rapid bursts of inactivating spikes, and slow phasic discharge with prolonged active and silent periods. Some studies have shown that increased osmolality causes neuronal firing, but this area is controversial. Intracellular injections of lucifer yellow have shown that some MNCs are dye-coupled and electron microscopic observations with the freeze-fracture technique have revealed occasional gap junctions, thus suggesting that some MNCs are electrotonically coupled. Both excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic potentials have been evoked with extracellular stimulation. Therefore, action potentials, synaptic potentials, burst discharges, and probably electrotonic coupling have been found with intracellular recording in mammalian neuroendocrine cells. Future studies with intracellular recording and staining followed by immunohistochemical identification of cells should provide significant new information on the membrane physiology and synaptic pharmacology of vasopressinergic and oxytocinergic cells.     

Threshold temperature responses of thermosensitive neurons in guinea-pig hypothalamic slices

1. 1.|Neuronal activity in slices of the preoptic and anterior hypothalamic area of guinea-pigs during slow low-amplitude temperature changes analogous to temperature changes in the brain of endothermic animals, was extracellularly recorded.

2. 2.|42% of neurons showed threshold temperature responses. The threshold of response averaged 37.4°C for warm-sensitive neurons during warming and 37.0°C for cold-sensitive neurons during cooling.

3. 3.|The thresholds differed, on average, by 0.1°C in the same neuron at repeated temperature changes.

4. 4.|With temperatures 0.8°C above threshold on average (0.2°C in some units) neuronal activity reached a new high level that did not change either during a further exceeding of the threshold or prolonged maintenance of suprathreshold temperature.

5. 5.|The characteristics of the threshold temperature response of a hypothalamic neuron meet the criteria of thermoinduced structural rearrangements of cell membranes, caused by phase transitions of lipids, changes in protein conformation and cytoskeletal activity.

Effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid on excitability of tubero-infundibular neurons in rat hypothalamic slices

The effect of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on antidromically identified tubero-infundibular (TI) neurons was examined in hypothalamic slices of ovariectomized female rats. Twenty antidromically evoked spikes were obtained in the medial basal hypothalamus, including the arcuate and ventromedial nuclei, by electrical stimulation of the median eminence. Sixteen of them had a notch in the rising phase and fractionation of the initial segment (IS)- and somatodendritic (SD)-spikes was elicited by repeated stimulation at frequencies higher than 10 Hz. The application of 0.5-1.5 mM GABA to the incubation medium inhibited SD spikes in 7 of these 16 neurons. The latency, amplitude and threshold of IS spikes were not affected by GABA except for one spike whose latency fluctuated. On the remaining 9 neurons having the notch, no effect of 5-10 mM GABA was discernible. Four of 20 antidromically evoked spikes, which had a smooth rising phase and a shorter duration, were not inhibited by 5-10 mM GABA, but a fluctuation of the latency was observed in one neuron. Fifteen neurons having spontaneous unit activity were also obtained in the arcuate nucleus and its adjacent area and tested with GABA. In 10 of the 15 neurons, spontaneous unit activity disappeared following 0.1-1.5 mM GABA perfusion, while the firing rate in the remaining 5 neurons was not affected by 5-10 mM GABA. These results provide evidence for a direct inhibitory effect of GABA on TI neurons and support the involvement of GABAergic neurons in regulating neuroendocrine functions.     

Effects of spontaneous and forced running on activation of hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone neurons in rats

Corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)-containing neurons in the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN) are known to be activated during physical or psychological stress, and play an important role as one of the central activators of integrated stress response. Physical exercise has also been suggested as one of the stressors activating CRH neurons in the PVN. Spontaneous wheel running (SWR) has recently been reported to result in improved mental health or mood, unlike treadmill running that commonly forces the animal to run. Thus, forced running may strongly induce an activation of CRH neurons compared with spontaneous running, and spontaneous running may not represent a strong stressor. However, whether the effects of spontaneous running on activation of CRH neurons in the PVN differ from those of forced running is unknown. The present study examined the activity of CRH neurons in 1-h forced wheel running (FWR) and SWR using c-Fos/CRH immunohistochemistry in male Wistar rats. No significant differences in 1-h running distance were observed between FWR and SWR, indicating that amount of work was almost equal between exercises. Number of double-labeled neurons for c-Fos and CRH in the PVN was markedly higher in FWR than in SWR. In addition, no significant differences in Fos expression in the LC, which is related to various stress responses, were found between FWR and SWR. These results indicate that FWR strongly activates CRH neurons in the PVN compared with SWR, suggesting that spontaneous running is not an intense stressor even though running distance does not differ significantly from forced running.     

哺乳、哺乳-禁乳及哺乳-禁乳后再哺乳对大鼠下丘脑胖素A免疫反应神经元的影响

为观察下丘脑胖素 A在哺乳期摄食增加和能量代谢中的作用,本研究采用脑连续切片之免疫组织化学和图像定量分析技术,对分娩后第 12 天非哺乳、持续哺乳、持续哺乳后禁哺乳过夜和持续哺乳 - 禁哺乳后再急性哺乳大鼠下丘脑胖素A免疫反应神经元的免疫反应性进行了观察和半定量分析。结果表明,分娩后持续哺乳 11 d, 大鼠的日摄食量较同期分娩的非哺乳大鼠明显增加(180%),一夜禁哺乳则明显降低哺乳大鼠的日摄食量(45%); 哺乳12 d, 大鼠下丘脑胖素 A免疫反应神经元的数目和平均染色强度较非哺乳大鼠明显增加(P<0.001,P<0.05); 禁哺乳过夜(15 h)明显降低哺乳大鼠胖素A免疫反应神经元的数目和平均染色强度(P<0.001,P<0.05),与非哺乳大鼠比较无明显差异;禁哺乳过夜后再急性哺乳2 h 明显增加禁哺乳大鼠胖素 A 免疫反应神经元的数目和平均染色强度(P<0.001,P<0.05),急性哺乳 5 h 后,虽亦明显增加禁哺乳大鼠胖素 A免疫反应性(P<0.05),但与急性哺乳 2 h 比较作用减弱。上述结果表明,持续哺乳和禁乳后再哺乳均导致下丘脑胖素A明显增加,提示哺乳期胖素A可能表达上调并可能与哺乳期摄食增加有关, 且吸乳动作与下丘脑胖素A样神经元之间可能存在某种神经或体液性联系途径。