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Bastos-Gonçalves R, Coimbra B, Rodrigues AJ. The mesopontine tegmentum in reward and aversion: From cellular heterogeneity to behaviour. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 162:105702. [PMID: 38718986 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
The mesopontine tegmentum, comprising the pedunculopontine tegmentum (PPN) and the laterodorsal tegmentum (LDT), is intricately connected to various regions of the basal ganglia, motor systems, and limbic systems. The PPN and LDT can regulate the activity of different brain regions of these target systems, and in this way are in a privileged position to modulate motivated behaviours. Despite recent findings, the PPN and LDT have been largely overlooked in discussions about the neural circuits associated with reward and aversion. This review aims to provide a timely and comprehensive resource on past and current research, highlighting the PPN and LDT's connectivity and influence on basal ganglia and limbic, and motor systems. Seminal studies, including lesion, pharmacological, and optogenetic/chemogenetic approaches, demonstrate their critical roles in modulating reward/aversive behaviours. The review emphasizes the need for further investigation into the associated cellular mechanisms, in order to clarify their role in behaviour and contribution for different neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo Bastos-Gonçalves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Coimbra
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal; ICVS/3B's-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
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2
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Chen RYT, Evans RC. Comparing tonic and phasic dendritic calcium in cholinergic pedunculopontine neurons and dopaminergic substantia nigra neurons. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1638-1656. [PMID: 38383047 PMCID: PMC10987283 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
Several brainstem nuclei degenerate in Parkinson's disease (PD). In addition to the well-characterized dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), the cholinergic neurons of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) also degenerate in PD. One leading hypothesis of selective vulnerability is that pacemaking activity and the activation of low-threshold L-type calcium current are major contributors to tonic calcium load and cellular stress in SNc dopaminergic neurons. However, it is not yet clear whether the vulnerable PPN cholinergic neurons share this property. Therefore, we used two-photon dendritic calcium imaging and whole-cell electrophysiology to evaluate the role of L-type calcium channels in tonic and phasic dendritic calcium signals in PPN and SNc neurons. In addition, we investigated N- and P/Q-type calcium channel regulation of firing properties and dendritic calcium in PPN neurons. We found that blocking L-type channels reduces tonic firing rate and dendritic calcium levels in SNc neurons. By contrast, the tonic calcium load in PPN neurons did not depend on L-, N- or P/Q-type channels. However, we found that blocking either L-type (with nifedipine) or N- and P/Q-type (with omega-conotoxin MVIIC) channels reduces phasic calcium influx in PPN dendrites. Together, these findings show that L-type calcium channels play different roles in the activity of SNc and PPN neurons, and suggest that low-threshold L-type channels are not responsible for tonic calcium levels in PPN cholinergic neurons and are therefore not likely to be a source of selective vulnerability in these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Yu-Tzu Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC
| | - Rebekah C. Evans
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC
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3
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Coulombe V, Goetz L, Bhattacharjee M, Gould PV, Saikali S, Takech MA, Philippe É, Parent A, Parent M. Cholinergic and Nadph-δ neurons in the pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei of human and nonhuman primates. J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25570. [PMID: 38108576 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
The brainstem pedunculopontine (PPN) and laterodorsal tegmental (LDTg) nuclei are involved in multifarious activities, including motor control. Yet, their exact cytoarchitectural boundaries are still uncertain. We therefore initiated a comparative study of the topographical and neurochemical organization of the PPN and LDTg in cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) and humans. The distribution and morphological characteristics of neurons expressing choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and/or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (Nadph-δ) were documented. The number and density of the labeled neurons were obtained by stringent stereological methods, whereas their topographical distribution was reported upon corresponding magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) planes. In both human and nonhuman primates, the PPN and LDTg are populated by three neurochemically distinct types of neurons (ChAT-/Nadph-δ+, ChAT+/Nadph-δ-, and ChAT+/Nadph-δ+), which are distributed according to a complex spatial interplay. Three-dimensional reconstructions reveal that ChAT+ neurons in the PPN and LDTg form a continuum with some overlaps with pigmented neurons of the locus coeruleus, dorsally, and of the substantia nigra (SN) complex, ventrally. The ChAT+ neurons in the PPN and LDTg are -two to three times more numerous in humans than in monkeys but their density is -three to five times higher in monkeys than in humans. Neurons expressing both ChAT and Nadph-δ have a larger cell body and a longer primary dendritic arbor than singly labeled neurons. Stereological quantification reveals that 25.6% of ChAT+ neurons in the monkey PPN are devoid of Nadph-δ staining, a finding that questions the reliability of Nadph-δ as a marker for cholinergic neurons in primate brainstem.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laurent Goetz
- Hôpital Fondation Rothschild, Neurochirurgie pédiatrique - Unité Parkinson, Paris, France
| | - Manik Bhattacharjee
- Grenoble Institut des Neurosciences, Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, Grenoble, France
- CNRS, UMR, Grenoble INP, TIMC, Grenoble, France
| | - Peter V Gould
- Hôpital de L'Enfant-Jésus, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Stephan Saikali
- Hôpital de L'Enfant-Jésus, CHU de Québec-Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | | | - Éric Philippe
- Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - André Parent
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Martin Parent
- CERVO Brain Research Center, Quebec City, QC, Canada
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4
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Morgenstern NA, Esposito MS. The Basal Ganglia and Mesencephalic Locomotor Region Connectivity Matrix. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:1454-1472. [PMID: 37559244 PMCID: PMC11097982 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230809112840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Although classically considered a relay station for basal ganglia (BG) output, the anatomy, connectivity, and function of the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) were redefined during the last two decades. In striking opposition to what was initially thought, MLR and BG are actually reciprocally and intimately interconnected. New viral-based, optogenetic, and mapping technologies revealed that cholinergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic neurons coexist in this structure, which, in addition to extending descending projections, send long-range ascending fibers to the BG. These MLR projections to the BG convey motor and non-motor information to specific synaptic targets throughout different nuclei. Moreover, MLR efferent fibers originate from precise neuronal subpopulations located in particular MLR subregions, defining independent anatomo-functional subcircuits involved in particular aspects of animal behavior such as fast locomotion, explorative locomotion, posture, forelimb- related movements, speed, reinforcement, among others. In this review, we revised the literature produced during the last decade linking MLR and BG. We conclude that the classic framework considering the MLR as a homogeneous output structure passively receiving input from the BG needs to be revisited. We propose instead that the multiple subcircuits embedded in this region should be taken as independent entities that convey relevant and specific ascending information to the BG and, thus, actively participate in the execution and tuning of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolás A. Morgenstern
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Instituto De Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria S. Esposito
- Department of Medical Physics, Centro Atomico Bariloche, CNEA, CONICET, Av. Bustillo 9500, San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
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Chen RYT, Evans RC. Comparing tonic and phasic calcium in the dendrites of vulnerable midbrain neurons. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.28.555184. [PMID: 37693427 PMCID: PMC10491175 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.28.555184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Several midbrain nuclei degenerate in Parkinson's Disease (PD). Many of these nuclei share the common characteristics that are thought to contribute to their selective vulnerability, including pacemaking activity and high levels of calcium influx. In addition to the well-characterized dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), the cholinergic neurons of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) also degenerate in PD. It is well established that the low-threshold L-type calcium current is a main contributor to tonic calcium in SNc dopaminergic neurons and is hypothesized to contribute to their selective vulnerability. However, it is not yet clear whether the vulnerable PPN cholinergic neurons share this property. Therefore, we used two-photon dendritic calcium imaging and whole-cell electrophysiology to evaluate the role of L-type calcium channels in the tonic and phasic activity of PPN neurons and the corresponding dendritic calcium signal and directly compare these characteristics to SNc neurons. We found that blocking L-type channels reduces tonic firing rate and dendritic calcium levels in SNc neurons. By contrast, the calcium load in PPN neurons during pacemaking did not depend on L-type channels. However, we find that blocking L-type channels reduces phasic calcium influx in PPN dendrites. Together, these findings show that L-type calcium channels play different roles in the activity of SNc and PPN neurons, and suggest that low-threshold L-type channels are not responsible for tonic calcium levels in PPN cholinergic neurons and are therefore not likely to be a source of selective vulnerability in these cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Yu-Tzu Chen
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC
| | - Rebekah C. Evans
- Department of Neuroscience, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC
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6
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Lacroix-Ouellette P, Dubuc R. Brainstem neural mechanisms controlling locomotion with special reference to basal vertebrates. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:910207. [PMID: 37063386 PMCID: PMC10098025 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.910207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last 60 years, the basic neural circuitry responsible for the supraspinal control of locomotion has progressively been uncovered. Initially, significant progress was made in identifying the different supraspinal structures controlling locomotion in mammals as well as some of the underlying mechanisms. It became clear, however, that the complexity of the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) prevented researchers from characterizing the detailed cellular mechanisms involved and that animal models with a simpler nervous system were needed. Basal vertebrate species such as lampreys, xenopus embryos, and zebrafish became models of choice. More recently, optogenetic approaches have considerably revived interest in mammalian models. The mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR) is an important brainstem region known to control locomotion in all vertebrate species examined to date. It controls locomotion through intermediary cells in the hindbrain, the reticulospinal neurons (RSNs). The MLR comprises populations of cholinergic and glutamatergic neurons and their specific contribution to the control of locomotion is not fully resolved yet. Moreover, the downward projections from the MLR to RSNs is still not fully understood. Reporting on discoveries made in different animal models, this review article focuses on the MLR, its projections to RSNs, and the contribution of these neural elements to the control of locomotion. Excellent and detailed reviews on the brainstem control of locomotion have been recently published with emphasis on mammalian species. The present review article focuses on findings made in basal vertebrates such as the lamprey, to help direct new research in mammals, including humans.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Réjean Dubuc
- Department of Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Department of Physical Activity Sciences, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Research Group for Adapted Physical Activity, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- *Correspondence: Réjean Dubuc,
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The Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus is not Important for Breathing Impairments Observed in a Parkinson's Disease Model. Neuroscience 2023; 512:32-46. [PMID: 36690033 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.12.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Parkinson's disease (PD) is a motor disorder resulting from degeneration of dopaminergic neurons of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc), with classical and non-classical symptoms such as respiratory instability. An important region for breathing control, the Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus (PPTg), is composed of cholinergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic neurons. We hypothesize that degenerated PPTg neurons in a PD model contribute to the blunted respiratory activity. Adult mice (40 males and 29 females) that express the fluorescent green protein in cholinergic, glutamatergic or GABAergic cells were used (Chat-cre Ai6, Vglut2-cre Ai6 and Vgat-cre Ai6) and received bilateral intrastriatal injections of vehicle or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA). Ten days later, the animals were exposed to hypercapnia or hypoxia to activate PPTg neurons. Vglut2-cre Ai6 animals also received retrograde tracer injections (cholera toxin b) into the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) or preBötzinger Complex (preBötC) and anterograde tracer injections (AAV-mCherry) into the SNpc. In 6-OHDA-injected mice, there is a 77% reduction in the number of dopaminergic neurons in SNpc without changing the number of neurons in the PPTg. Hypercapnia activated fewer Vglut2 neurons in PD, and hypoxia did not activate PPTg neurons. PPTg neurons do not input RTN or preBötC regions but receive projections from SNpc. Although our results did not show a reduction in the number of glutamatergic neurons in PPTg, we observed a reduction in the number of neurons activated by hypercapnia in the PD animal model, suggesting that PPTg may participate in the hypercapnia ventilatory response.
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Ali F, Benarroch E. What Is the Brainstem Control of Locomotion? Neurology 2022; 98:446-451. [PMID: 35288473 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000200108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Farwa Ali
- From the Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
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Luquin E, Paternain B, Zugasti I, Santomá C, Mengual E. Stereological estimations and neurochemical characterization of neurons expressing GABAA and GABAB receptors in the rat pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:89-110. [PMID: 34510281 PMCID: PMC8741722 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02375-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
To better understand GABAergic transmission at two targets of basal ganglia downstream projections, the pedunculopontine (PPN) and laterodorsal (LDT) tegmental nuclei, the anatomical localization of GABAA and GABAB receptors was investigated in both nuclei. Specifically, the total number of neurons expressing the GABAA receptor γ2 subunit (GABAAR γ2) and the GABAB receptor R2 subunit (GABAB R2) in PPN and LDT was estimated using stereological methods, and the neurochemical phenotype of cells expressing each subunit was also determined. The mean number of non-cholinergic cells expressing GABAAR γ2 was 9850 ± 1856 in the PPN and 8285 ± 962 in the LDT, whereas those expressing GABAB R2 were 7310 ± 1970 and 9170 ± 1900 in the PPN and LDT, respectively. In addition, all cholinergic neurons in both nuclei co-expressed GABAAR γ2 and 95-98% of them co-expressed GABAB R2. Triple labeling using in situ hybridization revealed that 77% of GAD67 mRNA-positive cells in the PPT and 49% in the LDT expressed GABAAR γ2, while 90% (PPN) and 65% (LDT) of Vglut2 mRNA-positive cells also expressed GABAAR γ2. In contrast, a similar proportion (~2/3) of glutamatergic and GABAergic cells co-expressed GABAB R2 in both nuclei. The heterogeneous distribution of GABAAR and GABABR among non-cholinergic cells in PPN and LDT may give rise to physiological differences within each neurochemical subpopulation. In addition, the dissimilar proportion of GABAAR γ2-expressing glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons in the PPN and LDT may contribute to some of the functional differences found between the two nuclei.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Luquin
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Ed. Los Castaños, Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Beatriz Paternain
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Ed. Los Castaños, Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Inés Zugasti
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Ed. Los Castaños, Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Carmen Santomá
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Ed. Los Castaños, Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
| | - Elisa Mengual
- Department of Pathology, Anatomy, and Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Ed. Los Castaños, Irunlarrea 1, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
- IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, 31008 Pamplona, Spain
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10
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Avigdor T, Minert A, Baron M, Devor M. Paradoxical anesthesia: Sleep-like EEG during anesthesia induced by mesopontine microinjection of GABAergic agents. Exp Neurol 2021; 343:113760. [PMID: 34000248 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2021.113760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 04/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
General anesthetic agents are thought to induce loss-of-consciousness (LOC) and enable pain-free surgery by acting on the endogenous brain circuitry responsible for sleep-wake cycling. In clinical use, the entire CNS is exposed to anesthetic molecules with LOC and amnesia usually attributed to synaptic suppression in the cerebral cortex and immobility and analgesia to agent action in the spinal cord and brainstem. This model of patch-wise suppression has been challenged, however, by the observation that all functional components of anesthesia can be induced by focal delivery of minute quantities of GABAergic agonists to the brainstem mesopontine tegmental anesthesia area (MPTA). We compared spectral features of the cortical electroencephalogram (EEG) in rats during systemic anesthesia and anesthesia induced by MPTA microinjection. Systemic administration of (GABAergic) pentobarbital yielded the sustained, δ-band dominant EEG signature familiar in clinical anesthesia. In contrast, anesthesia induced by MPTA microinjection (pentobarbital or muscimol) featured epochs of δ-band EEG alternating with the wake-like EEG, the pattern typical of natural non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) and REM sleep. The rats were not sleeping, however, as they remained immobile, atonic and unresponsive to noxious pinch. Recalling the paradoxical wake-like quality the EEG during REM sleep, we refer to this state as "paradoxical anesthesia". GABAergic anesthetics appear to co-opt both cortical and spinal components of the sleep network via dedicated axonal pathways driven by MPTA neurons. Direct drug exposure of cortical and spinal neurons is not necessary, and is probably responsible for off-target side-effects of systemic administration including monotonous δ-band EEG, hypothermia and respiratory depression. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: The concept that GABAergic general anesthetic agents induce loss-of-consciousness by substituting for an endogenous neurotransmitter, thereby co-opting neural circuitry responsible for sleep-wake transitions, has gained considerable traction. However, the electroencephalographic (EEG) signatures of sleep and anesthesia differ fundamentally. We show that when the anesthetic state is generated by focal delivery of GABAergics into the mesopontine tegmental anesthesia area (MPTA) the resulting EEG repeatedly transitions between delta-wave-dominant and wake-like patterns much as in REM-NREM sleep. This suggests that systemic (clinical) anesthetic delivery, which indiscriminately floods the entire cerebrum with powerful inhibitory agents, obscures the sleep-like EEG signature associated with the less adulterated form of anesthesia obtained when the drugs are applied selectively to loci where the effective neurotransmitter substitution actually occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamir Avigdor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Anne Minert
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Mark Baron
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel
| | - Marshall Devor
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel; Center for Research on Pain, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel.
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Roles of the Functional Interaction between Brain Cholinergic and Dopaminergic Systems in the Pathogenesis and Treatment of Schizophrenia and Parkinson's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22094299. [PMID: 33919025 PMCID: PMC8122651 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Most physiologic processes in the brain and related diseases involve more than one neurotransmitter system. Thus, elucidation of the interaction between different neurotransmitter systems could allow for better therapeutic approaches to the treatments of related diseases. Dopaminergic (DAergic) and cholinergic neurotransmitter system regulate various brain functions that include cognition, movement, emotion, etc. This review focuses on the interaction between the brain DAergic and cholinergic systems with respect to the pathogenesis and treatment of schizophrenia and Parkinson’s disease (PD). We first discussed the selection of motor plans at the level of basal ganglia, the major DAergic and cholinergic pathways in the brain, and the receptor subtypes involved in the interaction between the two signaling systems. Next, the roles of each signaling system were discussed in the context of the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, with a focus on the α7 nicotinic cholinergic receptor and the dopamine D1 receptor in the prefrontal cortex. In addition, the roles of the nicotinic and dopamine receptors were discussed in the context of regulation of striatal cholinergic interneurons, which play crucial roles in the degeneration of nigrostriatal DAergic neurons and the development of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia in PD patients. Finally, we discussed the general mechanisms of nicotine-induced protection of DAergic neurons.
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12
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Gasparini S, Resch JM, Gore AM, Peltekian L, Geerling JC. Pre-locus coeruleus neurons in rat and mouse. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2021; 320:R342-R361. [PMID: 33296280 PMCID: PMC7988775 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00261.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Previously, we identified a population of neurons in the hindbrain tegmentum, bordering the locus coeruleus (LC). We named this population the pre-locus coeruleus (pre-LC) because in rats its neurons lie immediately rostral to the LC. In mice, however, pre-LC and LC neurons intermingle, making them difficult to distinguish. Here, we use molecular markers and anterograde tracing to clarify the location and distribution of pre-LC neurons in mice, relative to rats. First, we colocalized the transcription factor FoxP2 with the activity marker Fos to identify pre-LC neurons in sodium-deprived rats and show their distribution relative to surrounding catecholaminergic and cholinergic neurons. Next, we used sodium depletion and chemogenetic activation of the aldosterone-sensitive HSD2 neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) to identify the homologous population of pre-LC neurons in mice, along with a related population in the central lateral parabrachial nucleus. Using Cre-reporter mice for Pdyn, we confirmed that most of these sodium-depletion-activated neurons are dynorphinergic. Finally, after confirming that these neurons receive excitatory input from the NTS and paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus, plus convergent input from the inhibitory AgRP neurons in the arcuate hypothalamic nucleus, we identify a major, direct input projection from the medial prefrontal cortex. This new information on the location, distribution, and input to pre-LC neurons provides a neuroanatomical foundation for cell-type-specific investigation of their properties and functions in mice. Pre-LC neurons likely integrate homeostatic information from the brainstem and hypothalamus with limbic, contextual information from the cerebral cortex to influence ingestive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Gasparini
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Jon M Resch
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Anuradha M Gore
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Lila Peltekian
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
| | - Joel C Geerling
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa
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Neuronal oscillations of the pedunculopontine nucleus in progressive supranuclear palsy: Influence of levodopa and movement. Clin Neurophysiol 2020; 131:414-419. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2019.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2019] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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Yadav RK, Khanday MA, Mallick BN. Interplay of dopamine and GABA in substantia nigra for the regulation of rapid eye movement sleep in rats. Behav Brain Res 2019; 376:112169. [PMID: 31442548 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2019] [Revised: 08/15/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Substantia nigra (SN) is rich in dopamine (DA)-ergic and GABA-ergic neurons, which project to and receive inputs from locus coeruleus (LC) and pedunculo-pontine tegmentum (PPT) possessing REM-OFF and REM-ON neurons, respectively. Loss of DA-ergic neurons and disturbed REM sleep (REMS) are associated with Parkinson's disease, depression and REMS behavior disorder. GABA-ergic projections from SN act pre-synaptically on the noradrenaline (NA)-ergic terminals coming from the LC-REM-OFF neurons onto the REM-ON neurons in PPT and play a critical role in initiating REMS. However, it was unknown how SN neurons get activated and whether the SN-DA-ergic neurons interact with the SN-GABA-ergic neurons for REMS regulation. In freely moving chronically prepared rats, neurons in SN (bilateral) were stimulated by local microinjection of Glutamate (Glut), sparing the fibers of passage, in the presence and absence of i.p. Haloperidol (Hal, DA-antagonist). In other sets, either Hal or Bicuculine (Bic, GABA-antagonist) alone or simultaneously was microinjected bilaterally into the SN and the effects on sleep-wakefulness were recorded. We observed that Glut in SN significantly increased REMS, which was prevented by Hal. REMS was decreased and increased by Hal and Bic, respectively; while their co-injection neutralized (ineffective) the individual effects. Combining these findings with previous reports suggest that the SN-DA-ergic neurons act on the SN-GABA-ergic to regulate REMS. The results advance our understanding of the neuro-anatomo-chemical connections and pharmaco-physiological regulation of REMS in health and diseases.
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15
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Gut NK, Mena-Segovia J. Dichotomy between motor and cognitive functions of midbrain cholinergic neurons. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 128:59-66. [PMID: 30213733 PMCID: PMC7176324 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 07/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cholinergic neurons of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) are interconnected with all the basal ganglia structures, as well as with motor centers in the brainstem and medulla. Recent theories put into question whether PPN cholinergic neurons form part of a locomotor region that directly regulates the motor output, and rather suggest a modulatory role in adaptive behavior involving both motor and cognitive functions. In support of this, experimental studies in animals suggest that cholinergic neurons reinforce actions by signaling reward prediction and shape adaptations in behavior during changes of environmental contingencies. This is further supported by clinical studies proposing that decreased cholinergic transmission originated in the PPN is associated with impaired sensorimotor integration and perseverant behavior, giving rise to some of the symptoms observed in Parkinson's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy. Altogether, the evidence suggests that cholinergic neurons of the PPN, mainly through their interactions with the basal ganglia, have a leading role in action control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine K Gut
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Juan Mena-Segovia
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA.
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Vitale F, Capozzo A, Mazzone P, Scarnati E. Neurophysiology of the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus. Neurobiol Dis 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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17
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Robbins R, Grandner MA, Buxton OM, Hale L, Buysse DJ, Knutson KL, Patel SR, Troxel WM, Youngstedt SD, Czeisler CA, Jean-Louis G. Sleep myths: an expert-led study to identify false beliefs about sleep that impinge upon population sleep health practices. Sleep Health 2019; 5:409-417. [PMID: 31003950 PMCID: PMC6689426 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleh.2019.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION False beliefs about sleep can persist despite contradicting scientific evidence, potentially impairing population health. Identifying commonly held false beliefs lacking an evidence base ("myths") can inform efforts to promote population sleep health. METHOD We compiled a list of potential myths using Internet searches of popular press and scientific literature. We used a Delphi process with sleep experts (n = 10) from the fields of sleep medicine and research. Selection and refinement of myths by sleep experts proceeded in 3 phases, including focus groups (Phase 1); email-based feedback to edit, add, or remove myths (Phase 2); and closed-ended questionnaires (Phase 3) where experts rated myths on 2 dimensions, falseness and public health significance, using 5-point Likert scale from 1 ("not at all") to 5 ("extremely false"). RESULTS The current study identified 20 sleep myths. Mean expert ratings of falseness ranged from 5.00 (SD = 0.00) for the statement "during sleep the brain is not active" to 2.50 (SD = 1.07) for the statement "sleeping in during the weekends is a good way to ensure you get adequate sleep." Mean responses to public health significance ranged from 4.63 (SD = 0.74) for debunking the statement that "many adults need only 5 or less hours of sleep for general health" to 1.71 (SD = 0.49) for the statement that "remembering your dreams is a sign of a good night's sleep." CONCLUSION The current study identified commonly held sleep myths that have a limited or questionable evidence base. Ratings provided by experts suggest areas that may benefit from public health education to correct myths and promote healthy sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Robbins
- Center for Healthful Behavior Change, Department of Population Health, NYU Langone Health.
| | - Michael A Grandner
- Sleep and Health Research Program, Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona College of Medicine
| | - Orfeu M Buxton
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University; Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard Chan School of Public Health
| | - Lauren Hale
- Program in Public Health, Department of Family, Population, & Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook Medicine
| | - Daniel J Buysse
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
| | - Kristen L Knutson
- The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
| | - Sanjay R Patel
- Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
| | | | | | - Charles A Czeisler
- Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Departments of Medicine and Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital; Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School
| | - Girardin Jean-Louis
- Center for Healthful Behavior Change, Department of Population Health, NYU Langone Health
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18
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Nowacki A, Galati S, Ai-Schlaeppi J, Bassetti C, Kaelin A, Pollo C. Pedunculopontine nucleus: An integrative view with implications on Deep Brain Stimulation. Neurobiol Dis 2019; 128:75-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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19
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Jerzemowska G, Plucińska K, Piwka A, Ptaszek K, Podlacha M, Orzeł-Gryglewska J. NMDA receptor modulation of the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus underlies the motivational drive for feeding induced by midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Brain Res 2019; 1715:134-147. [PMID: 30914249 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2019.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 03/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The mesolimbic system, particularly the somatodendritic ventral tegmental area (VTA), is responsible for the positive reinforcing aspects of various homeostatic stimuli. In turn, the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPN) is anatomically and functionally connected with the VTA and substantia nigra (SN). In the present study, we investigated the role of glutamate receptors in the PPN in motivated behaviors by using a model of feeding induced by electrical stimulation of the VTA in male Wistar rats (n = 80). We found that injection of 2.5/5 µg dizocilpine (MK-801; NMDA receptor antagonist) to the PPN significantly reduced the feeding response induced by unilateral VTA-stimulation. This reaction was significantly impaired after local injection of MK-801 into the PPN in the ipsilateral rather than the contralateral hemisphere. After NMDA injection (2/3 µg) to the PPN we did not observe behavioral changes, only a trend of a lengthening/shortening of the latency to a feeding reaction at the highest dose of NMDA (3 µg). Immunohistochemical TH+/c-Fos+ analysis revealed a decrease in the number of TH+ cells in the midbrain (VTA-SN) in all experimental groups and altered activity of c-Fos+ neurons in selected brain structures depending on drug type (MK-801/NMDA) and injection site (ipsi-/contralateral hemisphere). Additionally, the pattern of TH+/c-Fos+ expression showed lateralization of feeding circuit functional connectivity. We conclude that the level of NMDA receptor arousal in the PPN regulates the activity of the midbrain dopaminergic cells, and the PPN-VTA circuit may be important in the regulation of motivational aspects of food intake.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grażyna Jerzemowska
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland.
| | - Karolina Plucińska
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Piwka
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Kacper Ptaszek
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Podlacha
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
| | - Jolanta Orzeł-Gryglewska
- Department of Animal and Human Physiology, University of Gdansk, 59 Wita Stwosza Str, 80-308 Gdansk, Poland
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20
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Garcia-Rill E, Saper CB, Rye DB, Kofler M, Nonnekes J, Lozano A, Valls-Solé J, Hallett M. Focus on the pedunculopontine nucleus. Consensus review from the May 2018 brainstem society meeting in Washington, DC, USA. Clin Neurophysiol 2019; 130:925-940. [PMID: 30981899 PMCID: PMC7365492 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2019.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) is located in the mesopontine tegmentum and is best delimited by a group of large cholinergic neurons adjacent to the decussation of the superior cerebellar peduncle. This part of the brain, populated by many other neuronal groups, is a crossroads for many important functions. Good evidence relates the PPN to control of reflex reactions, sleep-wake cycles, posture and gait. However, the precise role of the PPN in all these functions has been controversial and there still are uncertainties in the functional anatomy and physiology of the nucleus. It is difficult to grasp the extent of the influence of the PPN, not only because of its varied functions and projections, but also because of the controversies arising from them. One controversy is its relationship to the mesencephalic locomotor region (MLR). In this regard, the PPN has become a new target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of parkinsonian gait disorders, including freezing of gait. This review is intended to indicate what is currently known, shed some light on the controversies that have arisen, and to provide a framework for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Garcia-Rill
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA.
| | - C B Saper
- Department of Neurology, Division of Sleep Medicine and Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - David B Rye
- Department of Neurology, Division of Sleep Medicine and Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - M Kofler
- Department of Neurology, Hochzirl Hospital, Zirl, Austria
| | - J Nonnekes
- Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Department of Rehabilitation, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - A Lozano
- Division of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto and Krembil Neuroscience Centre, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada
| | - J Valls-Solé
- Neurology Department, Hospital Clínic, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica August Pi i Sunyer), Barcelona, Spain
| | - M Hallett
- Human Motor Control Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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21
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Agostinelli LJ, Geerling JC, Scammell TE. Basal forebrain subcortical projections. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1097-1117. [PMID: 30612231 PMCID: PMC6500474 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-01820-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The basal forebrain (BF) contains at least three distinct populations of neurons (cholinergic, glutamatergic, and GABA-ergic) across its different regions (medial septum, diagonal band, magnocellular preoptic area, and substantia innominata). Much attention has focused on the BF's ascending projections to cortex, but less is known about descending projections to subcortical regions. Given the neurochemical and anatomical heterogeneity of the BF, we used conditional anterograde tracing to map the patterns of subcortical projections from multiple BF regions and neurochemical cell types using mice that express Cre recombinase only in cholinergic, glutamatergic, or GABAergic neurons. We confirmed that different BF regions innervate distinct subcortical targets, with more subcortical projections arising from neurons in the caudal and lateral BF (substantia innominata and magnocellular preoptic area). Additionally, glutamatergic and GABAergic BF neurons have distinct patterns of descending projections, while cholinergic descending projections are sparse. Considering the intensity of glutamatergic and GABAergic descending projections, the BF likely acts through subcortical targets to promote arousal, motivation, and other behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay J Agostinelli
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Neurology, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Joel C Geerling
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
- Department of Neurology, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Thomas E Scammell
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
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22
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Local and Relayed Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation of the Pedunculopontine Nucleus. Brain Sci 2019; 9:brainsci9030064. [PMID: 30889866 PMCID: PMC6468768 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci9030064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Our discovery of low-threshold stimulation-induced locomotion in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) led to the clinical use of deep brain stimulation (DBS) for the treatment of disorders such as Parkinson's disease (PD) that manifest gait and postural disorders. Three additional major discoveries on the properties of PPN neurons have opened new areas of research for the treatment of motor and arousal disorders. The description of (a) electrical coupling, (b) intrinsic gamma oscillations, and (c) gene regulation in the PPN has identified a number of novel therapeutic targets and methods for the treatment of a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders. We first delve into the circuit, cellular, intracellular, and molecular organization of the PPN, and then consider the clinical results to date on PPN DBS. This comprehensive review will provide valuable information to explain the network effects of PPN DBS, point to new directions for treatment, and highlight a number of issues related to PPN DBS.
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23
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Genaro K, Fabris D, Prado WA. The antinociceptive effect of anterior pretectal nucleus stimulation is mediated by distinct neurotransmitter mechanisms in descending pain pathways. Brain Res Bull 2019; 146:164-170. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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24
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Reichard RA, Parsley KP, Subramanian S, Stevenson HS, Schwartz ZM, Sura T, Zahm DS. The lateral preoptic area and ventral pallidum embolden behavior. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:1245-1265. [PMID: 30680454 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-01826-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
While recently completing a study of the effects of stimulating the lateral preoptic area (LPO) and ventral pallidum (VP) on locomotion and other movements, we also noticed LPO and VP effects on motivational drive and threat tolerance. Here, we have investigated these latter effects by testing conditioned place preference (CPP), behavior on the elevated plus maze (EPM) and the willingness of sated rats to occupy a harshly lit open field center to acquire sweet pellets, a measure of threat tolerance, following infusions of vehicle or bicuculline (bic) into the LPO and VP. LPO-bic infusions robustly increased total locomotion, and, in direct proportion, occupancy of both the harshly lit field center and open arms of the EPM. LPO bic also generated CPP, but did not increase sweet pellet ingestion. These effects were attenuated by dopamine D1 and D2 receptor antagonists, whether given individually or as a cocktail and systemically or infused bilaterally into the nucleus accumbens. VP-bic infusions did not increase total locomotion, but preferentially increased field center occupancy. VP-bic-infused rats compulsively ingested sweet pellets and did so even under the spotlight, whereas harsh illumination suppressed pellet ingestion in the control groups. VP bic produced CPP and increased open arm occupancy on the EPM. These effects were attenuated by pretreatment with dopamine receptor antagonists given systemically or as bilateral infusions into the VP, except for % distance in the field center (by D1 or D2 antagonists) and pellet ingestion (by D1 antagonist). Thus, boldness generated in association with LPO activation is tightly tied to locomotor activation and, as is locomotion itself, strongly DA dependent, whereas that accompanying stimulation of the VP is independent of locomotor activation and, at least in part, DA signaling. Furthermore, respective emboldened behaviors elicited from neither LPO nor VP could clearly be attributed to goal pursuit. Rather, emboldening of behavior seems more to be a fixed action response not fundamentally different than previously for reported locomotion, pivoting, backing, gnawing, and eating elicited by basal forebrain stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhett A Reichard
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA. .,Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC, 29425-8908, USA.
| | - Kenneth P Parsley
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Suriya Subramanian
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Hunter S Stevenson
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Zachary M Schwartz
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Tej Sura
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA
| | - Daniel S Zahm
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO, 63104, USA.
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25
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Jiao ZF, Shang CF, Wang YF, Yang Z, Yang C, Li FN, Xie JZ, Pan JW, Fu L, Du JL. All-optical imaging and manipulation of whole-brain neuronal activities in behaving larval zebrafish. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2018; 9:6154-6169. [PMID: 31065420 PMCID: PMC6491009 DOI: 10.1364/boe.9.006154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
All-optical interrogation of population neuron activity is a promising approach to deciphering the neural circuit mechanisms supporting brain functions. However, this interrogation is currently limited to local brain areas. Here, we incorporate patterned photo-stimulation into light-sheet microscopy, allowing simultaneous targeted optogenetic manipulation and brain-wide monitoring of the neuronal activities of head-restrained behaving larval zebrafish. Using this system, we photo-stimulate arbitrarily selected neurons (regions as small as ~10-20 neurons in 3D) in zebrafish larvae with pan-neuronal expression of a spectrally separated calcium indicator, GCaMP6f, and an activity actuator, ChrimsonR, and observe downstream neural circuit activation and behavior generation. This approach allows us to dissect the causal role of neural circuits in brain functions and behavior generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen-Fei Jiao
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Chun-Feng Shang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Yu-Fan Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yu-Quan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Zhe Yang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Chen Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Fu-Ning Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yu-Quan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jin-Ze Xie
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yu-Quan Road, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing-Wei Pan
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
| | - Ling Fu
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Engineering Sciences, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074, China
| | - Jiu-Lin Du
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19A Yu-Quan Road, Beijing 100049, China
- ShanghaiTech University, 319 Yue-Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China
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The pedunclopontine nucleus and Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 128:3-8. [PMID: 30171892 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 06/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, scientific and clinical interest in the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) has grown dramatically. This growth is largely a consequence of experimental work demonstrating its connection to the control of gait and of clinical work implicating PPN pathology in levodopa-insensitive gait symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD). In addition, the development of optogenetic and chemogenetic approaches has made experimental analysis of PPN circuitry and function more tractable. In this brief review, recent findings in the field linking PPN to the basal ganglia and PD are summarized; in addition, an attempt is made to identify key gaps in our understanding and challenges this field faces in moving forward.
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Spike discharge characteristic of the caudal mesencephalic reticular formation and pedunculopontine nucleus in MPTP-induced primate model of Parkinson disease. Neurobiol Dis 2018; 128:40-48. [PMID: 30086388 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Revised: 07/24/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) included in the caudal mesencephalic reticular formation (cMRF) plays a key role in the control of locomotion and wake state. Regarding its involvement in the neurodegenerative process observed in Parkinson disease (PD), deep brain stimulation of the PPN was proposed to treat levodopa-resistant gait disorders. However, the precise role of the cMRF in the pathophysiology of PD, particularly in freezing of gait and other non-motor symptoms is still not clear. Here, using micro electrode recording (MER) in 2 primates, we show that dopamine depletion did not alter the mean firing rate of the overall cMRF neurons, particularly the putative non-cholinergic ones, but only a decreased activity of the regular neurons sub-group (though to be the cholinergic PPN neurons). Interestingly, a significant increase in the relative proportion of cMRF neurons with a burst pattern discharge was observed after MPTP intoxication. The present results question the hypothesis of an over-inhibition of the CMRF by the basal ganglia output structures in PD. The decreased activity observed in the regular neurons could explain some non-motor symptoms in PD regarding the strong involvement of the cholinergic neurons on the modulation of the thalamo-cortical system. The increased burst activity under dopamine depletion confirms that this specific spike discharge pattern activity also observed in other basal ganglia nuclei and in different pathologies could play a mojor role in the pathophysiology of the disease and could explain several symptoms of PD including the freezing of gait. The present data will have to be replicated in a larger number of animals and will have to investigate more in details how the modification of the spike discharge of the cMRF neurons in the parkinsonian state could alter functions such as locomotion and attentional state. This will ultimely allow a better comprehension of the pathophysiology of freezing of gait.
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Luquin E, Huerta I, Aymerich MS, Mengual E. Stereological Estimates of Glutamatergic, GABAergic, and Cholinergic Neurons in the Pedunculopontine and Laterodorsal Tegmental Nuclei in the Rat. Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:34. [PMID: 29867374 PMCID: PMC5958217 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPN) and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) are functionally associated brainstem structures implicated in behavioral state control and sensorimotor integration. The PPN is also involved in gait and posture, while the LDT plays a role in reward. Both nuclei comprise characteristic cholinergic neurons intermingled with glutamatergic and GABAergic cells whose absolute numbers in the rat have been only partly established. Here we sought to determine the complete phenotypical profile of each nucleus to investigate potential differences between them. Counts were obtained using stereological methods after the simultaneous visualization of cholinergic and either glutamatergic or GABAergic cells. The two isoforms of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), GAD65 and GAD67, were separately analyzed. Dual in situ hybridization revealed coexpression of GAD65 and GAD67 mRNAs in ∼90% of GAD-positive cells in both nuclei; thus, the estimated mean numbers of (1) cholinergic, (2) glutamatergic, and (3) GABAergic cells in PPN and LDT, respectively, were (1) 3,360 and 3,650; (2) 5,910 and 5,190; and (3) 4,439 and 7,599. These data reveal significant differences between PPN and LDT in their relative phenotypical composition, which may underlie some of the functional differences observed between them. The estimation of glutamatergic cells was significantly higher in the caudal PPN, supporting the reported functional rostrocaudal segregation in this nucleus. Finally, a small subset of cholinergic neurons (8% in PPN and 5% in LDT) also expressed the glutamatergic marker Vglut2, providing anatomical evidence for a potential corelease of transmitters at specific target areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther Luquin
- Division of Neurosciences, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Ibone Huerta
- Division of Neurosciences, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - María S Aymerich
- Division of Neurosciences, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, School of Science, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Elisa Mengual
- Division of Neurosciences, Center for Applied Medical Research (CIMA), University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.,Anatomy Department, School of Medicine, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
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French IT, Muthusamy KA. A Review of the Pedunculopontine Nucleus in Parkinson's Disease. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:99. [PMID: 29755338 PMCID: PMC5933166 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) is situated in the upper pons in the dorsolateral portion of the ponto-mesencephalic tegmentum. Its main mass is positioned at the trochlear nucleus level, and is part of the mesenphalic locomotor region (MLR) in the upper brainstem. The human PPN is divided into two subnuclei, the pars compacta (PPNc) and pars dissipatus (PPNd), and constitutes both cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons with afferent and efferent projections to the cerebral cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia (BG), cerebellum, and spinal cord. The BG controls locomotion and posture via GABAergic output of the substantia nigra pars reticulate (SNr). In PD patients, GABAergic BG output levels are abnormally increased, and gait disturbances are produced via abnormal increases in SNr-induced inhibition of the MLR. Since the PPN is vastly connected with the BG and the brainstem, dysfunction within these systems lead to advanced symptomatic progression in Parkinson's disease (PD), including sleep and cognitive issues. To date, the best treatment is to perform deep brain stimulation (DBS) on PD patients as outcomes have shown positive effects in ameliorating the debilitating symptoms of this disease by treating pathological circuitries within the parkinsonian brain. It is therefore important to address the challenges and develop this procedure to improve the quality of life of PD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isobel T. French
- Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, University Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Direct and indirect nigrofugal projections to the nucleus reticularis pontis caudalis mediate in the motor execution of the acoustic startle reflex. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:2733-2751. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1654-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Zahm DS, Root DH. Review of the cytology and connections of the lateral habenula, an avatar of adaptive behaving. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2017; 162:3-21. [PMID: 28647565 PMCID: PMC5659881 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2016] [Revised: 05/02/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The cytology and connections of the lateral habenula (LHb) are reviewed. The habenula is first introduced, after which the cytology of the LHb is discussed mainly with reference to cell types, general topography and descriptions of subnuclei. An overview of LHb afferent connections is given followed by some details about the projections to LHb from a number of structures. An overview of lateral habenula efferent connections is given followed by some details about the projections from LHb to a number of structures. In considering the afferent and efferent connections of the LHb some attention is given to the relative validity of regarding it as a bi-partite structure featuring 'limbic' and 'pallidal' parts. The paper ends with some concluding remarks about the relative place of the LHb in adaptive behaving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Zahm
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, 1402 S. Grand Blvd., Saint Louis, MO 63104, United States.
| | - David H Root
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, United States.
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On the Role of the Pedunculopontine Nucleus and Mesencephalic Reticular Formation in Locomotion in Nonhuman Primates. J Neurosci 2017; 36:4917-29. [PMID: 27147647 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2514-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) is formed by the pedunculopontine and cuneiform nuclei, two neuronal structures thought to be key elements in the supraspinal control of locomotion, muscle tone, waking, and REM sleep. The role of MRF has also been advocated in modulation of state of arousal leading to transition from wakefulness to sleep and it is further considered to be a main player in the pathophysiology of gait disorders seen in Parkinson's disease. However, the existence of a mesencephalic locomotor region and of an arousal center has not yet been demonstrated in primates. Here, we provide the first extensive electrophysiological mapping of the MRF using extracellular recordings at rest and during locomotion in a nonhuman primate (NHP) (Macaca fascicularis) model of bipedal locomotion. We found different neuronal populations that discharged according to a phasic or a tonic mode in response to locomotion, supporting the existence of a locomotor neuronal circuit within these MRF in behaving primates. Altogether, these data constitute the first electrophysiological characterization of a locomotor neuronal system present within the MRF in behaving NHPs under normal conditions, in accordance with several studies done in different experimental animal models. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We provide the first extensive electrophysiological mapping of the two major components of the mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF), namely the pedunculopontine and cuneiform nuclei. We exploited a nonhuman primate (NHP) model of bipedal locomotion with extracellular recordings in behaving NHPs at rest and during locomotion. Different MRF neuronal groups were found to respond to locomotion, with phasic or tonic patterns of response. These data constitute the first electrophysiological evidences of a locomotor neuronal system within the MRF in behaving NHPs.
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Cholinergic, Glutamatergic, and GABAergic Neurons of the Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus Have Distinct Effects on Sleep/Wake Behavior in Mice. J Neurosci 2016; 37:1352-1366. [PMID: 28039375 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1405-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Revised: 12/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The pedunculopontine tegmental (PPT) nucleus has long been implicated in the regulation of cortical activity and behavioral states, including rapid eye-movement (REM) sleep. For example, electrical stimulation of the PPT region during sleep leads to rapid awakening, whereas lesions of the PPT in cats reduce REM sleep. Though these effects have been linked with the activity of cholinergic PPT neurons, the PPT also includes intermingled glutamatergic and GABAergic cell populations, and the precise roles of cholinergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic PPT cell groups in regulating cortical activity and behavioral state remain unknown. Using a chemogenetic approach in three Cre-driver mouse lines, we found that selective activation of glutamatergic PPT neurons induced prolonged cortical activation and behavioral wakefulness, whereas inhibition reduced wakefulness and increased non-REM (NREM) sleep. Activation of cholinergic PPT neurons suppressed lower-frequency electroencephalogram rhythms during NREM sleep. Last, activation of GABAergic PPT neurons slightly reduced REM sleep. These findings reveal that glutamatergic, cholinergic, and GABAergic PPT neurons differentially influence cortical activity and sleep/wake states. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT More than 40 million Americans suffer from chronic sleep disruption, and the development of effective treatments requires a more detailed understanding of the neuronal mechanisms controlling sleep and arousal. The pedunculopontine tegmental (PPT) nucleus has long been considered a key site for regulating wakefulness and REM sleep. This is mainly because of the cholinergic neurons contained in the PPT nucleus. However, the PPT nucleus also contains glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons that likely contribute to the regulation of cortical activity and sleep-wake states. The chemogenetic experiments in the present study reveal that cholinergic, glutamatergic, and GABAergic PPT neurons each have distinct effects on sleep/wake behavior, improving our understanding of how the PPT nucleus regulates cortical activity and behavioral states.
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Ferreira-Vieira TH, Guimaraes IM, Silva FR, Ribeiro FM. Alzheimer's disease: Targeting the Cholinergic System. Curr Neuropharmacol 2016; 14:101-15. [PMID: 26813123 PMCID: PMC4787279 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x13666150716165726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 837] [Impact Index Per Article: 104.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetylcholine (ACh) has a crucial role in the peripheral and central nervous
systems. The enzyme choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) is responsible for
synthesizing ACh from acetyl-CoA and choline in the cytoplasm and the vesicular
acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) uptakes the neurotransmitter into synaptic
vesicles. Following depolarization, ACh undergoes exocytosis reaching the
synaptic cleft, where it can bind its receptors, including muscarinic and
nicotinic receptors. ACh present at the synaptic cleft is promptly hydrolyzed by
the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), forming acetate and choline, which is
recycled into the presynaptic nerve terminal by the high-affinity choline
transporter (CHT1). Cholinergic neurons located in the basal forebrain,
including the neurons that form the nucleus basalis of Meynert, are severely
lost in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). AD is the most ordinary cause of dementia
affecting 25 million people worldwide. The hallmarks of the disease are the
accumulation of neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques. However, there is
no real correlation between levels of cortical plaques and AD-related cognitive
impairment. Nevertheless, synaptic loss is the principal correlate of disease
progression and loss of cholinergic neurons contributes to memory and attention
deficits. Thus, drugs that act on the cholinergic system represent a promising
option to treat AD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Fabiola M Ribeiro
- Departamento de Bioquimica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
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35
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Mahady LJ, Perez SE, Emerich DF, Wahlberg LU, Mufson EJ. Cholinergic profiles in the Goettingen miniature pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) brain. J Comp Neurol 2016; 525:553-573. [PMID: 27490949 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Central cholinergic structures within the brain of the even-toed hoofed Goettingen miniature domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) were evaluated by immunohistochemical visualization of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and the low-affinity neurotrophin receptor, p75NTR . ChAT-immunoreactive (-ir) perikarya were seen in the olfactory tubercle, striatum, medial septal nucleus, vertical and horizontal limbs of the diagonal band of Broca, and the nucleus basalis of Meynert, medial habenular nucleus, zona incerta, neurosecretory arcuate nucleus, cranial motor nuclei III and IV, Edinger-Westphal nucleus, parabigeminal nucleus, pedunculopontine nucleus, and laterodorsal tegmental nucleus. Cholinergic ChAT-ir neurons were also found within transitional cortical areas (insular, cingulate, and piriform cortices) and hippocampus proper. ChAT-ir fibers were seen throughout the dentate gyrus and hippocampus, in the mediodorsal, laterodorsal, anteroventral, and parateanial thalamic nuclei, the fasciculus retroflexus of Meynert, basolateral and basomedial amygdaloid nuclei, anterior pretectal and interpeduncular nuclei, as well as select laminae of the superior colliculus. Double immunofluorescence demonstrated that virtually all ChAT-ir basal forebrain neurons were also p75NTR -positive. The present findings indicate that the central cholinergic system in the miniature pig is similar to other mammalian species. Therefore, the miniature pig may be an appropriate animal model for preclinical studies of neurodegenerative diseases where the cholinergic system is compromised. J. Comp. Neurol. 525:553-573, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura J Mahady
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona.,Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Sylvia E Perez
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
| | | | | | - Elliott J Mufson
- Department of Neurobiology, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, Arizona
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36
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Wichmann T, DeLong MR. Deep Brain Stimulation for Movement Disorders of Basal Ganglia Origin: Restoring Function or Functionality? Neurotherapeutics 2016; 13:264-83. [PMID: 26956115 PMCID: PMC4824026 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-016-0426-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is highly effective for both hypo- and hyperkinetic movement disorders of basal ganglia origin. The clinical use of DBS is, in part, empiric, based on the experience with prior surgical ablative therapies for these disorders, and, in part, driven by scientific discoveries made decades ago. In this review, we consider anatomical and functional concepts of the basal ganglia relevant to our understanding of DBS mechanisms, as well as our current understanding of the pathophysiology of two of the most commonly DBS-treated conditions, Parkinson's disease and dystonia. Finally, we discuss the proposed mechanism(s) of action of DBS in restoring function in patients with movement disorders. The signs and symptoms of the various disorders appear to result from signature disordered activity in the basal ganglia output, which disrupts the activity in thalamocortical and brainstem networks. The available evidence suggests that the effects of DBS are strongly dependent on targeting sensorimotor portions of specific nodes of the basal ganglia-thalamocortical motor circuit, that is, the subthalamic nucleus and the internal segment of the globus pallidus. There is little evidence to suggest that DBS in patients with movement disorders restores normal basal ganglia functions (e.g., their role in movement or reinforcement learning). Instead, it appears that high-frequency DBS replaces the abnormal basal ganglia output with a more tolerable pattern, which helps to restore the functionality of downstream networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Wichmann
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Mahlon R DeLong
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
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37
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Mena-Segovia J. Structural and functional considerations of the cholinergic brainstem. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2016; 123:731-736. [PMID: 26945862 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-016-1530-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Cholinergic neurons of the brainstem have traditionally been associated with a role in wakefulness as part of the reticular activating system, but their function cannot be explained solely on the basis of their modulation of the brain state. Recent findings about their connectivity and functional heterogeneity suggest a wider role in behavior, where basal ganglia is at the center of their influence. This review focuses on recent findings that suggest an intrinsic functional organization of the cholinergic brainstem that is closely correlated with its connectivity with midbrain and forebrain circuits. Furthermore, recent evidence on the temporal structure of the activation of brainstem cholinergic neurons reveals fundamental aspects about the nature of cholinergic signaling. Consideration of the cholinergic brainstem complex in the context of wider brain circuits is critical to understand its contribution to normal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Mena-Segovia
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Aidekman Research Center, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA.
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38
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Gut NK, Winn P. The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus-A functional hypothesis from the comparative literature. Mov Disord 2016; 31:615-24. [PMID: 26880095 PMCID: PMC4949639 DOI: 10.1002/mds.26556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
We present data from animal studies showing that the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus-conserved through evolution, compartmentalized, and with a complex pattern of inputs and outputs-has functions that involve formation and updates of action-outcome associations, attention, and rapid decision making. This is in contrast to previous hypotheses about pedunculopontine function, which has served as a basis for clinical interest in the pedunculopontine in movement disorders. Current animal literature points to it being neither a specifically motor structure nor a master switch for sleep regulation. The pedunculopontine is connected to basal ganglia circuitry but also has primary sensory input across modalities and descending connections to pontomedullary, cerebellar, and spinal motor and autonomic control systems. Functional and anatomical studies in animals suggest strongly that, in addition to the pedunculopontine being an input and output station for the basal ganglia and key regulator of thalamic (and consequently cortical) activity, an additional major function is participation in the generation of actions on the basis of a first-pass analysis of incoming sensory data. Such a function-rapid decision making-has very high adaptive value for any vertebrate. We argue that in developing clinical strategies for treating basal ganglia disorders, it is necessary to take an account of the normal functions of the pedunculopontine. We believe that it is possible to use our hypothesis to explain why pedunculopontine deep brain stimulation used clinically has had variable outcomes in the treatment of parkinsonism motor symptoms and effects on cognitive processing. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine K Gut
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philip Winn
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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39
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Jin X, Schwabe K, Krauss JK, Alam M. The anterior and posterior pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus are involved in behavior and neuronal activity of the cuneiform and entopeduncular nuclei. Neuroscience 2016; 322:39-53. [PMID: 26880033 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Loss of cholinergic neurons in the mesencephalic locomotor region, comprising the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) and the cuneiform nucleus (CnF), is related to gait disturbances in late stage Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigate the effect of anterior or posterior cholinergic lesions of the PPN on gait-related motor behavior, and on neuronal network activity of the PPN area and basal ganglia (BG) motor loop in rats. Anterior PPN lesions, posterior PPN lesions or sham lesions were induced by stereotaxic microinjection of the cholinergic toxin AF64-A or vehicle in male Sprague-Dawley rats. First, locomotor activity (open field), postural disturbances (Rotarod) and gait asymmetry (treadmill test) were assessed. Thereafter, single-unit and oscillatory activities were measured in the non-lesioned area of the PPN, the CnF and the entopeduncular nucleus (EPN), the BG output region, with microelectrodes under urethane anesthesia. Additionally, ECoG was recorded in the motor cortex. Injection of AF64-A into the anterior and posterior PPN decreased cholinergic cell counts as compared to naive controls (P<0.001) but also destroyed non-cholinergic cells. Only anterior PPN lesions decreased the front limb swing time of gait in the treadmill test, while not affecting other gait-related parameters tested. Main electrophysiological findings were that anterior PPN lesions increased the firing activity in the CnF (P<0.001). Further, lesions of either PPN region decreased the coherence of alpha (8-12 Hz) band between CnF and motor cortex (MCx), and increased the beta (12-30 Hz) oscillatory synchronization between EPN and the MCx. Lesions of the PPN in rats had complex effects on oscillatory neuronal activity of the CnF and the BG network, which may contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology of gait disturbance in PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- X Jin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - K Schwabe
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - J K Krauss
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - M Alam
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
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40
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Mazzone P, Vilela Filho O, Viselli F, Insola A, Sposato S, Vitale F, Scarnati E. Our first decade of experience in deep brain stimulation of the brainstem: elucidating the mechanism of action of stimulation of the ventrolateral pontine tegmentum. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2016; 123:751-767. [DOI: 10.1007/s00702-016-1518-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 01/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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41
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Tribute to: Self-administered nicotine activates the mesolimbic dopamine system through the ventral tegmental area [William Corrigall, Kathleen Coen and Laurel Adamson, Brain Res. 653 (1994) 278-284]. Brain Res 2016; 1645:61-4. [PMID: 26867702 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.12.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, Dr. Corrigall and collaborators described elegant experiments designed to elucidate the neurobiology of nicotine reinforcement. The nicotinic receptor antagonist dihydro-β-erythroidine (DHβE) was infused in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) or nucleus accumbens (NAC) of rats trained to self-administer nicotine intravenously. Additionally, DHβE was infused in the VTA of rats trained to self-administer food or cocaine, and nicotine self-administration was assessed in rats with lesions to the peduculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPT). A number of key themes emerged from this fundamental study that remain relevant today. The primary finding was that infusions of DHβE in the VTA, but not in the NAC, lowered nicotine self-administration, suggesting that nicotinic receptors in VTA are involved in the reinforcing action of nicotine. This conclusion has been confirmed by subsequent findings, and the nature of the nicotinic receptors has also been elucidated. The authors also reported that DHβE in the VTA had no effect on food or cocaine self-administration, and that lesions to the PPT did not alter nicotine self-administration. Since this initial investigation, the question of whether nicotinic receptors in the VTA are necessary for the reinforcing action of other stimuli, and by which mechanisms, has been extensively explored. Similarly, many groups have further investigated the role of mesopontine cholinergic nuclei in reinforcement. This paper not only contributed in important ways to our understanding of the neurochemical basis of nicotine reinforcement, but was also a key catalyst that gave rise to several research themes central to the neuropharmacology of substance abuse. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI:50th Anniversary Issue.
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Commentary on: Efferent connections of the parabrachial nucleus in the rat. C.B. Saper and A.D. Loewy, Brain Research 197:291-317, 1980. Brain Res 2016; 1645:15-7. [PMID: 26790347 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
By the late 1970׳s, the pathways had been identified from neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract that control visceral sensory inflow and from the paraventricular nucleus and lateral hypothalamus that directly innervate the autonomic preganglionic neurons, thereby controlling autonomic outflow. However, the connections between the two were not yet clear. This paper identified the parabrachial nucleus as a key intermediary, receiving the bulk of outflow from the nucleus of the solitary tract and distributing it to a set of brainstem and forebrain sites that constituted a central autonomic control network. This work also identified the insular cortex as a key visceral sensory cortical area. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI:50th Anniversary Issue.
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43
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Cholinergic excitation from the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus to the dentate nucleus in the rat. Neuroscience 2016; 317:12-22. [PMID: 26762800 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.12.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Revised: 12/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In spite of the existence of pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) projections to cerebellar nuclei, their nature and functional role is unknown. These fibers may play a crucial role in postural control and may be involved in the beneficial effects induced by deep-brain stimulation (DBS) of brainstem structures in motor disorders. We investigated the effects of PPTg microstimulation on single-unit activity of dentate, fastigial and interpositus nuclei. The effects of PPTg stimulation were also studied in rats whose PPTg neurons were destroyed by ibotenic acid and subsequently subjected to iontophoretically applied cholinergic antagonists. The main response recorded in cerebellar nuclei was a short-latency (1.5-2 ms) and brief (13-15 ms) orthodromic activation. The dentate nucleus was the most responsive to PPTg stimulation. The destruction of PPTg cells reduced the occurrence of PPTg-evoked activation of dentate neurons, suggesting that the effect was due to stimulation of cell bodies and not due to fibers passing through or close to the PPTg. Application of cholinergic antagonists reduced or eliminated the PPTg-evoked response recorded in the dentate nucleus. The results show that excitation is exerted by the PPTg on the cerebellar nuclei, in particular on the dentate nucleus. Taken together with the reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase-positive neurons in lesioned animals, the iontophoretic experiments suggest that the activation of dentate neurons is due to cholinergic fibers. These data help to explain the effects of DBS of the PPTg on axial motor disabilities in neurodegenerative disorders.
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Khanday M, Mallick B. REM sleep modulation by perifornical orexinergic inputs to the pedunculo-pontine tegmental neurons in rats. Neuroscience 2015; 308:125-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 09/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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Pienaar IS, Gartside SE, Sharma P, De Paola V, Gretenkord S, Withers D, Elson JL, Dexter DT. Pharmacogenetic stimulation of cholinergic pedunculopontine neurons reverses motor deficits in a rat model of Parkinson's disease. Mol Neurodegener 2015; 10:47. [PMID: 26394842 PMCID: PMC4580350 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-015-0044-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD) often present with axial symptoms, including postural- and gait difficulties that respond poorly to dopaminergic agents. Although deep brain stimulation (DBS) of a highly heterogeneous brain structure, the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN), improves such symptoms, the underlying neuronal substrate responsible for the clinical benefits remains largely unknown, thus hampering optimization of DBS interventions. Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)::Cre(+) transgenic rats were sham-lesioned or rendered parkinsonian through intranigral, unihemispheric stereotaxic administration of the ubiquitin-proteasomal system inhibitor, lactacystin, combined with designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD), to activate the cholinergic neurons of the nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontine (PPTg), the rat equivalent of the human PPN. We have previously shown that the lactacystin rat model accurately reflects aspects of PD, including a partial loss of PPTg cholinergic neurons, similar to what is seen in the post-mortem brains of advanced PD patients. RESULTS In this manuscript, we show that transient activation of the remaining PPTg cholinergic neurons in the lactacystin rat model of PD, via peripheral administration of the cognate DREADD ligand, clozapine-N-oxide (CNO), dramatically improved motor symptoms, as was assessed by behavioral tests that measured postural instability, gait, sensorimotor integration, forelimb akinesia and general motor activity. In vivo electrophysiological recordings revealed increased spiking activity of PPTg putative cholinergic neurons during CNO-induced activation. c-Fos expression in DREADD overexpressed ChAT-immunopositive (ChAT+) neurons of the PPTg was also increased by CNO administration, consistent with upregulated neuronal activation in this defined neuronal population. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these findings provide evidence that functional modulation of PPN cholinergic neurons alleviates parkinsonian motor symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilse S Pienaar
- Centre for Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 ONN, UK.
- Department of Applied Sciences, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK.
| | - Sarah E Gartside
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Puneet Sharma
- Centre for Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 ONN, UK
| | - Vincenzo De Paola
- Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Sabine Gretenkord
- Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH, UK
| | - Dominic Withers
- Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
| | - Joanna L Elson
- Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3BZ, UK
- Centre for Human Metabonomics, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - David T Dexter
- Centre for Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration, Division of Brain Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, W12 ONN, UK
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Root DH, Melendez RI, Zaborszky L, Napier TC. The ventral pallidum: Subregion-specific functional anatomy and roles in motivated behaviors. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 130:29-70. [PMID: 25857550 PMCID: PMC4687907 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Revised: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The ventral pallidum (VP) plays a critical role in the processing and execution of motivated behaviors. Yet this brain region is often overlooked in published discussions of the neurobiology of mental health (e.g., addiction, depression). This contributes to a gap in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of psychiatric disorders. This review is presented to help bridge the gap by providing a resource for current knowledge of VP anatomy, projection patterns and subregional circuits, and how this organization relates to the function of VP neurons and ultimately behavior. For example, ventromedial (VPvm) and dorsolateral (VPdl) VP subregions receive projections from nucleus accumbens shell and core, respectively. Inhibitory GABAergic neurons of the VPvm project to mediodorsal thalamus, lateral hypothalamus, and ventral tegmental area, and this VP subregion helps discriminate the appropriate conditions to acquire natural rewards or drugs of abuse, consume preferred foods, and perform working memory tasks. GABAergic neurons of the VPdl project to subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata, and this VP subregion is modulated by, and is necessary for, drug-seeking behavior. Additional circuits arise from nonGABAergic neuronal phenotypes that are likely to excite rather than inhibit their targets. These subregional and neuronal phenotypic circuits place the VP in a unique position to process motivationally relevant stimuli and coherent adaptive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- David H Root
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, 152 Frelinghuysen Road, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, United States.
| | - Roberto I Melendez
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, San Juan, PR 00936, United States.
| | - Laszlo Zaborszky
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, 197 University Avenue, Newark, NJ 07102, United States.
| | - T Celeste Napier
- Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL 60612, United States.
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Sherman D, Fuller PM, Marcus J, Yu J, Zhang P, Chamberlin NL, Saper CB, Lu J. Anatomical Location of the Mesencephalic Locomotor Region and Its Possible Role in Locomotion, Posture, Cataplexy, and Parkinsonism. Front Neurol 2015; 6:140. [PMID: 26157418 PMCID: PMC4478394 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/09/2015] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The mesencephalic (or midbrain) locomotor region (MLR) was first described in 1966 by Shik and colleagues, who demonstrated that electrical stimulation of this region induced locomotion in decerebrate (intercollicular transection) cats. The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPT) cholinergic neurons and midbrain extrapyramidal area (MEA) have been suggested to form the neuroanatomical basis for the MLR, but direct evidence for the role of these structures in locomotor behavior has been lacking. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the MLR is composed of non-cholinergic spinally projecting cells in the lateral pontine tegmentum. Our results showed that putative MLR neurons medial to the PPT and MEA in rats were non-cholinergic, glutamatergic, and express the orexin (hypocretin) type 2 receptors. Fos mapping correlated with motor behaviors revealed that the dorsal and ventral MLR are activated, respectively, in association with locomotion and an erect posture. Consistent with these findings, chemical stimulation of the dorsal MLR produced locomotion, whereas stimulation of the ventral MLR caused standing. Lesions of the MLR (dorsal and ventral regions together) resulted in cataplexy and episodic immobility of gait. Finally, trans-neuronal tracing with pseudorabies virus demonstrated disynaptic input to the MLR from the substantia nigra via the MEA. These findings offer a new perspective on the neuroanatomic basis of the MLR, and suggest that MLR dysfunction may contribute to the postural and gait abnormalities in Parkinsonism.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Sherman
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Patrick M Fuller
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Jacob Marcus
- Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Jun Yu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Dalian Municipal Central Hospital , Dalian , China
| | - Ping Zhang
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, The Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University , Dalian , China
| | - Nancy L Chamberlin
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Clifford B Saper
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, MA , USA
| | - Jun Lu
- Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center , Boston, MA , USA
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Deep brain stimulation of different pedunculopontine targets in a novel rodent model of parkinsonism. J Neurosci 2015; 35:4792-803. [PMID: 25810510 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3646-14.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg) has been proposed as a target for deep brain stimulation (DBS) in parkinsonian patients, particularly for symptoms such as gait and postural difficulties refractory to dopaminergic treatments. Several patients have had electrodes implanted aimed at the PPTg, but outcomes have been disappointing, with little evidence that gait and posture are improved. The PPTg is a heterogeneous structure. Consequently, exact target sites in PPTg, possible DBS mechanisms, and potential benefits still need systematic investigation in good animal models. We have investigated the role of PPTg in gait, developed a refined model of parkinsonism including partial loss of the PPTg with bilateral destruction of nigrostriatal dopamine neurons that mimics human pathophysiology, and investigated the effect of DBS at different PPTg locations on gait and posture using a wireless device that lets rats move freely while receiving stimulation. Neither partial nor complete lesions of PPTg caused gait deficits, underlining questions raised previously about the status of PPTg as a motor control structure. The effect of DBS in the refined and standard model of parkinsonism were very different despite minimal behavioral differences in nonstimulation control conditions. Anterior PPTg DBS caused severe episodes of freezing and worsened gait, whereas specific gait parameters were mildly improved by stimulation of posterior PPTg. These results emphasize the critical importance of intra-PPTg DBS location and highlight the need to take PPTg degeneration into consideration when modeling parkinsonian symptoms. They also further implicate a role for PPTg in the pathophysiology of parkinsonism.
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Pearlstein E, Gouty-Colomer LA, Michel FJ, Cloarec R, Hammond C. Glutamatergic synaptic currents of nigral dopaminergic neurons follow a postnatal developmental sequence. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:210. [PMID: 26074777 PMCID: PMC4448554 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/15/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The spontaneous activity pattern of adult dopaminergic (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) results from interactions between intrinsic membrane conductances and afferent inputs. In adult SNc DA neurons, low-frequency tonic background activity is generated by intrinsic pacemaker mechanisms, whereas burst generation depends on intact synaptic inputs in particular the glutamatergic ones. Tonic DA release in the striatum during pacemaking is required to maintain motor activity, and burst firing evokes phasic DA release, necessary for cue-dependent learning tasks. However, it is still unknown how the firing properties of SNc DA neurons mature during postnatal development before reaching the adult state. We studied the postnatal developmental profile of spontaneous and evoked AMPA and NMDA (N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid) receptor-mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in SNc DA neurons in brain slices from immature (postnatal days P4–P10) and young adult (P30–P50) tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-green fluorescent protein mice. We found that somato-dendritic fields of SNc DA neurons are already mature at P4–P10. In contrast, spontaneous glutamatergic EPSCs show a developmental sequence. Spontaneous NMDA EPSCs in particular are larger and more frequent in immature SNc DA neurons than in young adult ones and have a bursty pattern. They are mediated by GluN2B and GluN2D subunit-containing NMDA receptors. The latter generate long-lasting, DQP 1105-sensitive, spontaneous EPSCs, which are transiently recorded during this early period. Due to high NMDA activity, immature SNc DA neurons generate large and long lasting NMDA receptor-dependent (APV-sensitive) bursts in response to the stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus. We conclude that the transient high NMDA activity allows calcium influx into the dendrites of developing SNc DA neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edouard Pearlstein
- UMR 901, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France ; Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée, Inserm UMR 901 Marseille, France
| | - Laurie-Anne Gouty-Colomer
- UMR 901, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France ; Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée, Inserm UMR 901 Marseille, France
| | - François J Michel
- UMR 901, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France ; Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée, Inserm UMR 901 Marseille, France
| | - Robin Cloarec
- UMR 901, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France ; Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée, Inserm UMR 901 Marseille, France
| | - Constance Hammond
- UMR 901, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France ; Institut de Neurobiologie de la Méditerranée, Inserm UMR 901 Marseille, France
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Hahn JD, Swanson LW. Connections of the juxtaventromedial region of the lateral hypothalamic area in the male rat. Front Syst Neurosci 2015; 9:66. [PMID: 26074786 PMCID: PMC4445319 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2015.00066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary conservation of the hypothalamus attests to its critical role in the control of fundamental behaviors. However, our knowledge of hypothalamic connections is incomplete, particularly for the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA). Here we present the results of neuronal pathway-tracing experiments to investigate connections of the LHA juxtaventromedial region, which is parceled into dorsal (LHAjvd) and ventral (LHAjvv) zones. Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHAL, for outputs) and cholera toxin B subunit (CTB, for inputs) coinjections were targeted stereotaxically to the LHAjvd/v. Results: LHAjvd/v connections overlapped highly but not uniformly. Major joint outputs included: Bed nuc. stria terminalis (BST), interfascicular nuc. (BSTif) and BST anteromedial area, rostral lateral septal (LSr)- and ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) nuc., and periaqueductal gray. Prominent joint LHAjvd/v input sources included: BSTif, BST principal nuc., LSr, VMH, anterior hypothalamic-, ventral premammillary-, and medial amygdalar nuc., and hippocampal formation (HPF) field CA1. However, LHAjvd HPF retrograde labeling was markedly more abundant than from the LHAjvv; in the LSr this was reversed. Furthermore, robust LHAjvv (but not LHAjvd) targets included posterior- and basomedial amygdalar nuc., whereas the midbrain reticular nuc. received a dense input from the LHAjvd alone. Our analyses indicate the existence of about 500 LHAjvd and LHAjvv connections with about 200 distinct regions of the cerebral cortex, cerebral nuclei, and cerebrospinal trunk. Several highly LHAjvd/v-connected regions have a prominent role in reproductive behavior. These findings contrast with those from our previous pathway-tracing studies of other LHA medial and perifornical tier regions, with different connectional behavioral relations. The emerging picture is of a highly differentiated LHA with extensive and far-reaching connections that point to a role as a central coordinator of behavioral control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel D Hahn
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Larry W Swanson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA, USA
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