Cortical projection of giant neostriatal neurons in the cat. Light and electron microscopic horseradish peroxidase study

Expression of the cannabinoid CB1 receptor in the gymnotiform fish brain and its implications for the organization of the teleost pallium

Cannabinoid CB1 receptors (CB1R) are widely distributed in the brains of many vertebrates, but whether their functions are conserved is unknown. The weakly electric fish, Apteronotus leptorhynchus (Apt), has been well studied for its brain structure, behavior, sensory processing, and learning and memory. It therefore offers an attractive model for comparative studies of CB1R functions. We sequenced partial AptCB1R mRNAs and performed in situ hybridization to localize its expression. Partial AptCB1R protein sequence was highly conserved to zebrafish (90.7%) and mouse (81.9%) orthologs. AptCB1R mRNA was highly expressed in the telencephalon. Subpallial neurons (dorsal, central, intermediate regions and part of the ventral region, Vd/Vc/Vi, and Vv) expressed high levels of AptCB1R transcript. The central region of dorsocentral telencephalon (DC(core) ) strongly expressed CB1R mRNA; cells in DC(core) project to midbrain regions involved in electrosensory/visual function. The lateral and rostral regions of DC surrounding DC(core) (DC(shell) ) lack AptCB1R mRNA. The rostral division of the dorsomedial telencephalon (DM1) highly expresses AptCB1R mRNA. In dorsolateral division (DL) AptCB1R mRNA was expressed in a gradient that declined in a rostrocaudal manner. In diencephalon, AptCB1R RNA probe weakly stained the central-posterior (CP) and prepacemaker (PPn) nuclei. In mesencephalon, AptCB1R mRNA is expressed in deep layers of the dorsal (electrosensory) torus semicircularis (TSd). In hindbrain, AptCB1R RNA probe weakly labeled inhibitory interneurons in the electrosensory lateral line lobe (ELL). Unlike mammals, only few cerebellar granule cells expressed AptCB1R transcripts and these were located in the center of eminentia granularis pars posterior (EGp), a cerebellar region involved in feedback to ELL.

Two types of projection neurons in human striatum: peculiarities of their somatodendritic structure in ventral and dorsal striatum

The somatodendritic structure of projection neurons was morphometrically examined in the nucleus accumbens of human brain. In contrast to reticular neurons, spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens and dorsal striatum have different somatodendritic structure. In both parts of the striatum, reticular neurons were NADPH-diaphorase-positive.

A common system of sparsely-branched projection (reticular) NADPH-diaphorase neurons in formations of densely-branched cells in the human forebrain

Morphometric studies of human forebrain formations composed of densely branched cells - the entorhinal cortex, the basolateral amygdala, the nucleus accumbens, the striatum, and the dorsal thalamus - were performed using nine parameters, with statistical analysis of the resulting data; measurements addressed the major projection-type densely branched and sparsely branched reticular neurons (scattered reticular and marginal reticular cells of the dorsal thalamus) stained by the Golgi method and with NADPH-diaphorase. Scattered reticular cells in the various formations showed no differences in any of the nine measures, while there were significant differences (in 5-7 measures, apart from one comparison, where there were differences in two measures) in their major projection-type densely branched cells. Scattered reticular and main projection-type densely branched neurons in each formation differed in terms of 7-9 measures. In endbrain formations, scattered reticular neurons contained NADPH-diaphorase; in the dorsal thalamus, only intermediate marginal reticular neurons were NADPH-diaphorase-positive. Thus, these human formations contained a common system of ancient integrative NADPH-diaphorase-containing reticular cells. Our results, along with published data, show these to be projection-type cells with projections to layers V and VI of the neocortex, which suggests that they have modulatory influences on its descending systems.

NADPH-diaphorase staining reveals new types of interneurons in human putamen

Neurons in the human striatum have been divided into five or seven different types, respectively. To further characterize these interneurons, we investigated the putamen of five brains by means of NADPH-diaphorase staining and compared our results to previous classifications in man. The NADPH-diaphorase method is selective for nitric oxide synthase (NOS); in the human striatum, predominantly interneurons were stained. NADPH-diaphorase positive neurons were then further examined. They showed clear morphological differences and could be classified into 12 different types, which only partially corresponded to previously described neuron types. Thus, we suggest at least three novel types of neostriatal interneurons. Furthermore, a special class of large neurons thought to be efferent in nature, stained NOS-positive.

Morphological study of the entorhinal cortex, hippocampal formation, and basal ganglia in Rett syndrome patients

Entorhinal cortex (EC), fascia dentata (FD), hippocampus (HP), and basal ganglia (BG) were studied in Rett syndrome (RS) cases and compared with control brains and an autism case. Kluver-Barrera and Golgi methods were used. In RS most of the areas of EC, HP, and FD showed severe cell hypochromia. In the EC all cells of layer II and most in layer III were in a state of total chromatolysis or were "ghost" cells, but the cells of layers V and VI were preserved and moderately hyperchromic. In FD and HP the majority of the granular cells and cells of CA3 and CA4 fields were severely hypochromic, whereas in the CA1 field most cells were normal or slightly hypercaryochromic. In BG mostly mild or moderate aberration from normal cell structure was observed: in striatum, mild hypercaryochromia of small neurons and more expressive hyperchromia of large neurons were found; and in pallidum, mild or moderate hypercaryochromia to severe hyperchromia in pallidum internum was found. Degeneration of thick myelinated fibers was evident in pallidum. Large striatal and pallidal neurons showed signs of constructive changes in Golgi slices. These data allow the determination of the cause of the main symptoms of RS. The motor disorders, including specific stereotyped movements, could be related to the enhanced activity of BG cells due to their deafferentation from the side of the neocortex and to supposed hyperactivity of the EC-striatal pathway; the mental retardation and epileptic seizures could be due to FD-HP involvement.

Large neostriatal neurons in humans and their possible role in neuronal networks

The Golgi method was used to study the structure of large neostriatal neurons in adult humans. Four types of large interneurons were found (spider cells, hairy cells, asymmetric fan cells, and giant stretched cells), along with two types of large projection cells (large reticular cells with spines and giant reticular cells with smooth dendrites). The structural features and possible mediators of these cells are discussed, along with their roles in neostriatal neuronal networks and in the development of pathological symptoms in chorea and progressive supranuclear paralysis.

Cortical protection by localized striatal injection of IL-1ra following cerebral ischemia in the rat

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) markedly reduces infarct volume induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in the rat, when injected either centrally (intracerebroventricularly) or peripherally. The site or sites of action of IL-1 in stroke pathology, however, are not known. The present study investigated the site(s) of action of IL-1/IL-1ra in ischemic brain damage by studying the effects of local injection of IL-1ra into the cortex or striatum following permanent MCAO in the rat. Cortical injection of IL-1ra (5 micrograms) did not affect infarct volume in the cortex or striatum measured 24 h after MCAO. In contrast, striatal injection of IL-1ra ipsilateral to the infarction caused a significant and highly reproducible reduction of cortical (37%, p < 0.001) and striatal damage (27%, p < 0.001, corrected for edema) compared with vehicle-injected animals. Injection of IL-1ra (5 micrograms) into the striatum, contralateral to the infarction, resulted in a small (9%) but significant (p < 0.001) reduction of ipsilateral cortical damage, with no effect on ipsilateral striatal damage. Injection of a higher dose of IL-1ra (7.5 micrograms) in the contralateral striatum caused a further inhibition of ipsilateral cortical damage (24%, p < 0.001) and a significant reduction of ipsilateral striatal damage (16%, p < 0.001). In separate groups of rats, it was established that core temperature (measured continuously in free-moving animals with remote radiotelemetry) was not affected by striatal or cortical injection of IL-1ra. These data show that injection of IL-1ra into the striatum but not the cortex reduces infarct volume in both the striatum and the cortex, independently of effects on core temperature. These results imply that blocking striatal IL-1 contributes to IL-1ra-protective effects. We hypothesize that IL-1 may influence striatal distal cortical damage through either the release of specific substances or activation of polysynaptic pathways.

The effect of neocortical lesions on the number of cells in neonatal or adult feline caudate nucleus: comparison to fetal lesions

After a unilateral resection of the frontal cortex in fetal cats the volume of the caudate nucleus increases while the packing density of neuronal and glial cells does not change. In the present report we address the questions of whether a similar lesion sustained neonatally or a more extensive neodecortication sustained neonatally or in adulthood may have the same unusual effect. Stereological methods were used to determine bilaterally the volume of the caudate nucleus as well as to estimate the total number and packing density of neurons and glial cells in the caudate nucleus ipsilateral to the lesion. Comparisons between each of three experimental groups and intact animals were made at a time when all animals were young adults. In cats with a unilateral frontal cortical lesion performed between postnatal days 8 and 14, none of the measured parameters changed significantly compared to intact controls. In cats with removal of the entire left neocortex in adulthood, the ipsilateral caudate nucleus volume decreased by 18.1% and by 21.5% relative to intact and to neonatal hemidecorticated cats respectively (P < 0.05), with no change in the contralateral caudate. In the ipsilateral caudate the total number of neurons decreased by 21.8% (P < 0.05) compared to controls while the number of glial cells did not change significantly. In the same caudate the packing density of neurons did not change significantly (except for a 17.1% decrease, P < 0.05, relative to frontal-lesioned cats) while that of glial cells increased by 19.9% and by 24.7% compared to intact and neonatal neodecorticated cats respectively (P < 0.05). In adult cats in which a similar hemineodecortication was performed between postnatal days 8 and 13, the only significant changes were a 25.8% (P < 0.05) and a 30.6% (P < 0.05) decrease in neuron packing density compared to intact and frontal-lesioned cats, respectively. In summary, a restricted unilateral neocortical resection in neonatal cats did not induce any morphological changes in the caudate nucleus that we could detect with the methods employed. In contrast, an extensive neodecortication sustained in adulthood produced ipsilateral caudate shrinkage with substantial neuron loss and increase in packing density of glial cells, while a similar lesion but sustained neonatally only altered substantially the packing density of glial cells (decreased). Therefore, we concluded that (i) the caudate nucleus hypertrophy which we reported after a unilateral discrete cortical removal during the prenatal period is a unique phenomenon which is peculiar to the cat brain during the last third of gestation; (ii) the caudate nucleus changes seen in the cats with hemineodecortication in adulthood are degenerative in nature and closely resemble those which we reported for other subcortical nuclei following a similar lesion; and (iii) the animals with neonatal hemidecortication are relatively spared from these degenerative effects. Overall, these results indicate that, as for other structures, the morphological changes of the caudate nucleus following neocortical damage depend on the maturational state of the brain at the time of the injury and on the size of the lesion, and support the notion that the consequences of cerebral cortex lesions upon subcortical brain nuclei are of a different nature when sustained in prenatal as compared to postnatal cats.

Topographical organization of the sources of discrete cortical projections within the striatum as determined by a retrograde fluorescence tracing technique in the cat

The projections from the neostriatum and the paleostriatum to the cerebral cortex in the cat were examined by means of retrogradely transported fluorescent tracers primuline, Fast Blue, Nuclear Yellow and Evans Blue injected into different neocortical fields. In all cases after dye injections only large labelled cells of sources of striatocortical ipsilateral projections were observed. The main projections from the caudate nucleus and the putamen are directed to the auditory and neighbouring "associative" cortex, and more numerous projections from the globus pallidus are addressed to the motor cortex. No sources of cortical projections within the entopeduncular nucleus were found. Simultaneous injections of Fast Blue and primuline into even closely located and tightly bound functional regions of parietal or temporal cortex failed to reveal double-labelled neurons in the caudate nucleus, internal capsule, putamen and globus pallidus. Thus, our findings on cats are consistent with recent studies on rats and monkeys that suggest that striatal neurons innervate relatively small, restricted fields of the neocortex. Again, the results show evidence for a significant contribution to cholinergic cortical innervation not only of magnocellular neurons of the basal forebrain but also of large neo- and paleostriatal cells.

Ultrastructural features of the choline acetyltransferase-containing neurons and relationships with nigral dopaminergic and cortical afferent pathways in the rat striatum

The aim of this study was first to specify the morphology and neuronal environment of the large cholinergic neurons, and second to determine the distribution and mode of termination of the corticostriatal and dopaminergic inputs on these neurons in the rat striatum. Immunocytochemical procedures with a monoclonal antibody against choline acetyltransferase, Golgi staining and standard electron microscopic techniques were used to specify the ultrastructural features of the putatively cholinergic classical large neurons. The large/choline acetyltransferase-positive neurons are characterized by a voluminous, eccentric, and deeply indented nucleus leaving a large cytoplasmic area, and by the presence of an abundant granular endoplasmic reticulum and of many polysomes and free ribosomes. Serial ultrathin sectioning further indicated the presence of nematosomes or nucleolus-like bodies within the nucleus and the cytoplasm of the large neurons. In addition, these neurons were found to be in direct apposition with up to four surrounding neurons showing features typical of medium-sized spiny neurons. These data support the view that the putatively cholinergic neurons may have an intense metabolic activity and may be involved in striatal clusters. When choline acetyltransferase immunostaining was coupled with the identification of degenerating corticostriatal afferents after lesion of the cerebral cortex, degenerating terminals were seen to form synapses of an asymmetrical type on distal labelled dendrites, but these contacts were very rare. On the other hand, nigrostriatal dopaminergic axons, identified by means of either the degeneration method or tyrosine hydroxylase immunostaining, were often found to run directly for long distances around the choline acetyltransferase-positive cell bodies. Occasionally, dopaminergic terminals formed possible symmetrical synapses on choline acetyltransferase-positive cell bodies or proximal dendrites. These data provide evidence that the putatively cholinergic neurons are directly contacted by corticostriatal and dopaminergic nigrostriatal afferents. The respective positions and nature of the two types of contacts further provide morphological support for the hypothesis that postsynaptic interactions may occur between the corticostriatal and dopaminergic nigrostriatal afferents at the level of the cholinergic neurons.

Cellular interactions in the striatum involving neuronal systems using ?classical? neurotransmitters: Possible functional implications

The neostriatum contains a wide variety of neuroactive substances associated with several well-defined functional neuronal systems. This structure, which is the seat of numerous neurological pathological disorders, is commonly used as a model for studying the basic mechanisms of neurotransmitter interactions in the brain and their putative involvement in striatal functions. Increasing interest has been focusing lately on the cellular interactions that may occur between the corticostriatal putatively glutamatergic system and the nigrostriatal dopaminergic input. Current evidence suggests that the activatory corticostriatal glutamatergic input may play a more crucial role in regulating striatal functions than was formerly assumed in comparison with the dopaminergic input. The key role of cholinergic interneurons in the striatum may therefore be attributable to the fact that they modulate the glutamatergic transmission to GABA striatal efferent neurons. Likewise, dopamine may actually act indirectly in the striatum by "tuning down" the cortical excitation of striatal neurons. Consequently, an impairment of the dopaminergic transmission such as that occurring in Parkinsonism may lead to an increase in the corticostriatal glutamatergic transmission, which may further contribute towards reinforcing the "imbalance" between subsets of striatal neuronal systems controlling the output of the basal ganglia.

Large neurons in the neostriatum in Alzheimer's disease and progressive supranuclear palsy: a topographic, histologic and ultrastructural investigation

Large neurons in the neostriatum of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) were investigated topographically, histologically and ultrastructurally. The number of large neurons whose nuclear area is greater than 101 microns2 was uniformly decreased in the neostriatum in PSP, but the decrease of these neurons in AD appeared to be more marked in the nucleus accumbens. Most of the remaining large neurons in both diseases contained neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs). In addition, some of the small neurons in PSP were positive for tau-immunostaining. Curly fibers were frequently observed in AD, but were absent in PSP. Ultrastructurally, NFTs in AD were composed mainly of paired helical filaments, whereas those in PSP contained straight tubules.