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Flace P, Galletta D, Bizzoca A, Gennarini G, Livrea P. A candidate projective neuron type of the cerebellar cortex: the synarmotic neuron. Eur J Histochem 2024; 68:3954. [PMID: 38766720 PMCID: PMC11148694 DOI: 10.4081/ejh.2024.3954] [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] [Accepted: 04/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous studies on the granular layer of the cerebellar cortex have revealed a wide distribution of different subpopulations of less-known large neuron types, called "non-traditional large neurons", which are distributed in three different zones of the granular layer. These neuron types are mainly involved in the formation of intrinsiccircuits inside the cerebellar cortex. A subpopulation of these neuron types is represented by the synarmotic neuron, which could play a projective role within the cerebellar circuitry. The synarmotic neuron cell body map within the internal zone of the granular layer or in the subjacent white substance. Furthermore, the axon crosses the granular layer and runs in the subcortical white substance, to reenter in an adjacent granular layer, associating two cortico-cerebellar regions of the same folium or of different folia, or could project to the intrinsic cerebellar nuclei. Therefore, along with the Purkinje neuron, the traditional projective neuron type of the cerebellar cortex, the synarmotic neuron is candidate to represent the second projective neuron type of the cerebellar cortex. Studies of chemical neuroanatomy evidenced a predominant inhibitory GABAergic nature of the synarmotic neuron, suggesting that it may mediate an inhibitory GABAergic output of cerebellar cortex within cortico-cortical interconnections or in projections towards intrinsic cerebellar nuclei. On this basis, the present minireview mainly focuses on the morphofunctional and neurochemical data of the synarmotic neuron, and explores its potential involvement in some forms of cerebellar ataxias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Flace
- Medical School, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari.
| | - Diana Galletta
- Unit of Psychiatry and Psychology, Federico II University Hospital, Naples.
| | - Antonella Bizzoca
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience "DiBraiN", University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari.
| | - Gianfranco Gennarini
- Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience "DiBraiN", University of Bari Aldo Moro, Bari.
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Afonso-Oramas D, Santana-Cordón L, Lemus-Mesa A, Teixidó-Trujillo S, Rodríguez-Rodríguez AE, Cruz-Muros I, González-Gómez M, Barroso-Chinea P. Drastic decline in vasoactive intestinal peptide expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus in obese mice on a long-term high-fat diet. Brain Res Bull 2023; 202:110756. [PMID: 37678442 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2023.110756] [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: 07/20/2023] [Revised: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) is the main region for the regulation of circadian rhythms. Although the SCN contains a heterogeneous neurochemical phenotype with a wide variety of neuropeptides, a key role has been suggested for the vasoactive intestinal neuropeptide (VIP) as a modulator circadian, reproductive, and seasonal rhythms. VIP is a 28-amino acid polypeptide hormone that belongs to the secretin-glucagon peptide superfamily and shares 68 % homology with the pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP). VIP acts as an endogenous appetite inhibitor in the central nervous system, where it participates in the control of appetite and energy homeostasis. In recent years, significant efforts have been made to better understand the role of VIP in the regulation of appetite/satiety and energy balance. This study aimed to elucidate the long-term effect of an obesogenic diet on the distribution and expression pattern of VIP in the SCN and nucleus accumbens (NAc) of C57BL/6 mice. A total of 15 female C57BL/6J mice were used in this study. Female mice were fed ad libitum with water and, either a standard diet (SD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) to induce obesity. There were 7 female mice on the SD and 8 on the HFD. The duration of the experiment was 365 days. The morphological study was performed using immunohistochemistry and double immunofluorescence techniques to study the neurochemical profile of VIP neurons of the SCN of C57BL/6 mice. Our data show that HFD-fed mice gained weight and showed reduced VIP expression in neurons of the SCN and also in fibres located in the NAc. Moreover, we observed a loss of neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression in fibres surrounding the SCN. Our findings on VIP may contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying obesity in regions associated with uncontrolled intake of high-fat foods and the reward system, thus facilitating the identification of novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domingo Afonso-Oramas
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas de Canarias (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Neurociencias. Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
| | - Laura Santana-Cordón
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Alejandro Lemus-Mesa
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Silvia Teixidó-Trujillo
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, Dermatología y Psiquiatría. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | | | - Ignacio Cruz-Muros
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas de Canarias (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Miriam González-Gómez
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas de Canarias (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Neurociencias. Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Pedro Barroso-Chinea
- Departamento de Ciencias Médicas Básicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto de Tecnologías Biomédicas de Canarias (ITB), Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain; Instituto Universitario de Neurociencias. Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain.
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Flace P, Livrea P, Basile GA, Galletta D, Bizzoca A, Gennarini G, Bertino S, Branca JJV, Gulisano M, Bianconi S, Bramanti A, Anastasi G. The Cerebellar Dopaminergic System. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:650614. [PMID: 34421548 PMCID: PMC8375553 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.650614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
In the central nervous system (CNS), dopamine (DA) is involved in motor and cognitive functions. Although the cerebellum is not been considered an elective dopaminergic region, studies attributed to it a critical role in dopamine deficit-related neurological and psychiatric disorders [e.g., Parkinson's disease (PD) and schizophrenia (SCZ)]. Data on the cerebellar dopaminergic neuronal system are still lacking. Nevertheless, biochemical studies detected in the mammalians cerebellum high dopamine levels, while chemical neuroanatomy studies revealed the presence of midbrain dopaminergic afferents to the cerebellum as well as wide distribution of the dopaminergic receptor subtypes (DRD1-DRD5). The present review summarizes the data on the cerebellar dopaminergic system including its involvement in associative and projective circuits. Furthermore, this study also briefly discusses the role of the cerebellar dopaminergic system in some neurologic and psychiatric disorders and suggests its potential involvement as a target in pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Flace
- Medical School, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro', Bari, Italy
| | | | - Gianpaolo Antonio Basile
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Diana Galletta
- Unit of Psychiatry and Psychology, Federico II University Hospital, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonella Bizzoca
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
| | - Gianfranco Gennarini
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, Bari, Italy
| | - Salvatore Bertino
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Massimo Gulisano
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Firenze, Firenze, Italy
| | - Simona Bianconi
- Physical, Rehabilitation Medicine and Sport Medicine Unit, University Hospital “G. Martino”, Messina, Italy
| | - Alessia Bramanti
- Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Health Care IRCCS “Centro Neurolesi Bonino Pulejo”, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Anastasi
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
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Benagiano V, Rizzi A, Lorusso L, Flace P, Saccia M, Cagiano R, Ribatti D, Roncali L, Ambrosi G. The functional anatomy of the cerebrocerebellar circuit: A review and new concepts. J Comp Neurol 2017; 526:769-789. [PMID: 29238972 DOI: 10.1002/cne.24361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 11/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The cerebrocerebellar circuit is a feedback circuit that bidirectionally connects the neocortex and the cerebellum. According to the classic view, the cerebrocerebellar circuit is specifically involved in the functional regulation of the motor areas of the neocortex. In recent years, studies carried out in experimental animals by morphological and physiological methods, and in humans by magnetic resonance imaging, have indicated that the cerebrocerebellar circuit is also involved in the functional regulation of the nonmotor areas of the neocortex, including the prefrontal, associative, sensory and limbic areas. Moreover, a second type of cerebrocerebellar circuit, bidirectionally connecting the hypothalamus and the cerebellum, has been detected, being specifically involved in the regulation of the hypothalamic functions. This review analyzes the morphological features of the centers and pathways of the cerebrocerebellar circuits, paying particular attention to their organization in different channels, which separately connect the cerebellum with the motor areas and nonmotor areas of the neocortex, and with the hypothalamus. Actually, a considerable amount of new data have led, and are leading, to profound changes on the views on the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of the cerebrocerebellar circuits, so much they may be now considered to be essential for the functional regulation of many neocortex areas, perhaps all, as well as of the hypothalamus and of the limbic system. Accordingly, clinical studies have pointed out an involvement of the cerebrocerebellar circuits in the pathophysiology of an increasing number of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Benagiano
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Anna Rizzi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Loredana Lorusso
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Paolo Flace
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Matteo Saccia
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Raffaele Cagiano
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Human Oncology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Domenico Ribatti
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.,National Cancer Institute 'Giovanni Paolo II', Bari, Italy
| | - Luisa Roncali
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Glauco Ambrosi
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neurosciences and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
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