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Jiang MC, Birch DV, Heckman CJ, Tysseling VM. The Involvement of Ca V1.3 Channels in Prolonged Root Reflexes and Its Potential as a Therapeutic Target in Spinal Cord Injury. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:642111. [PMID: 33867945 PMCID: PMC8044857 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.642111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in not only the loss of voluntary muscle control, but also in the presence of involuntary movement or spasms. These spasms post-SCI involve hyperexcitability in the spinal motor system. Hyperactive motor commands post SCI result from enhanced excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and persistent inward currents in voltage-gated L-type calcium channels (LTCCs), which are reflected in evoked root reflexes with different timings. To further understand the contributions of these cellular mechanisms and to explore the involvement of LTCC subtypes in SCI-induced hyperexcitability, we measured root reflexes with ventral root recordings and motoneuron activities with intracellular recordings in an in vitro preparation using a mouse model of chronic SCI (cSCI). Specifically, we explored the effects of 1-(3-chlorophenethyl)-3-cyclopentylpyrimidine-2,4,6-(1H,3H,5H)-trione (CPT), a selective negative allosteric modulator of CaV1.3 LTCCs. Our results suggest a hyperexcitability in the spinal motor system in these SCI mice. Bath application of CPT displayed slow onset but dose-dependent inhibition of the root reflexes with the strongest effect on LLRs. However, the inhibitory effect of CPT is less potent in cSCI mice than in acute SCI (aSCI) mice, suggesting changes either in composition of CaV1.3 or other cellular mechanisms in cSCI mice. For intracellular recordings, the intrinsic plateau potentials, was observed in more motoneurons in cSCI mice than in aSCI mice. CPT inhibited the plateau potentials and reduced motoneuron firings evoked by intracellular current injection. These results suggest that the LLR is an important target and that CPT has potential in the therapy of SCI-induced muscle spasms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingchen C Jiang
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Derin V Birch
- Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Charles J Heckman
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Vicki M Tysseling
- Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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Mahrous AA, Mousa MH, Elbasiouny SM. The Mechanistic Basis for Successful Spinal Cord Stimulation to Generate Steady Motor Outputs. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:359. [PMID: 31456665 PMCID: PMC6698793 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord is a promising rehabilitation intervention to restore/augment motor function after spinal cord injury (SCI). Combining sensory feedback with stimulation of remaining motor circuits has been shown to be a prerequisite for the functional improvement of SCI patients. However, little is known about the cellular mechanisms potentially underlying this functional benefit in the injured spinal cord. Here, we combine computer simulations with an isolated whole-tissue adult mouse spinal cord preparation to examine synaptic, cellular, and system potentials measured from single motoneurons and ventral roots. The stimulation protocol included separate and combined activation of the sensory inputs (evoked by dorsal root stimulation) and motor inputs (evoked by stimulation of spinal cord tissue) at different frequencies, intensities, and neuromodulatory states. Our data show that, while sensory inputs exhibit short-term depression in response to a train of stimulation, motor inputs exhibit short-term facilitation. However, the concurrent activation of both inputs elicits a stronger and steadier motor output. This effect is enhanced by the application of pharmacological neuromodulators. Furthermore, sensorimotor excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) summate sublinearly (i.e., their combination produces an excitatory potential smaller than the sum of the excitatory potentials they would individually produce). However, ventral root compound action potentials (CoAPs) summate supralinearly generating much higher outputs. Computer simulations revealed that the contrasting summation and disproportionality in plasticity between the excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) and CoAPs result from the motoneuronal firing threshold acting as an amplitude-selective filter. Together, these results provide the mechanistic basis for the cellular processes contributing to the generation of steady motor outputs using spinal stimulation. This data has great potential to guide the design of more effective stimulation protocols in SCI patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr A Mahrous
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Boonshoft School of Medicine and College of Science and Mathematics, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States.,Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Mohamed H Mousa
- Department of Biomedical, Industrial, and Human Factors Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States
| | - Sherif M Elbasiouny
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Boonshoft School of Medicine and College of Science and Mathematics, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States.,Department of Biomedical, Industrial, and Human Factors Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Wright State University, Dayton, OH, United States
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Quilgars C, Bertrand SS. Activity-dependent synaptic dynamics in motor circuits of the spinal cord. CURRENT OPINION IN PHYSIOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cophys.2018.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Jiang MC, Adimula A, Birch D, Heckman CJ. Hyperexcitability in synaptic and firing activities of spinal motoneurons in an adult mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Neuroscience 2017; 362:33-46. [PMID: 28844763 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.08.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Hyperexcitability is hypothesized to contribute to the degeneration of spinal motoneurons (MNs) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Studies, thus far, have not linked hyperexcitability to the intrinsic properties of MNs in the adult ALS mouse model with the G93A-mutated SOD1 protein (mSOD1G93A). In this study, we obtained two types of measurements: ventral root recordings to assess motor output and intracellular recordings to assess synaptic properties of individual MNs. All studies were carried out in an in vitro preparation of the sacral spinal cords of mSOD1G93A mice and their non-transgenic (NT) littermates, both in the age range of 50-90days. Ventral root recordings revealed that maximum compound action potentials (coAPs) evoked by a short-train stimulation of corresponding dorsal roots were similar between the two types of mice. Although the progressive depression of coAPs was present during the train stimulation in all recordings, the coAP depression in mSOD1G93A mice was to a lesser extent, which suggests an increased firing tendency in mSOD1G93A MNs. Intracellular recordings showed no changes in fast excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) in mSOD1G93A MNs. However, recording did show that oscillating EPSPs (oEPSPs) were induced by poly-EPSPs at a higher frequency and by less-intense electrical stimulation in mSOD1G93A MNs. These oEPSPs were dependent upon the activities of spinal network and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs), and were subjected to riluzole modulation. Taken together, these findings revealed abnormal electrophysiology in mSOD1G93A MNs that could underlie ALS excitotoxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingchen C Jiang
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
| | - Adesoji Adimula
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Derin Birch
- Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Charles J Heckman
- Department of Physiology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA; Department of Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 303 E. Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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Mahrous AA, Elbasiouny SM. SK channel inhibition mediates the initiation and amplitude modulation of synchronized burst firing in the spinal cord. J Neurophysiol 2017; 118:161-175. [PMID: 28356481 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00929.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Burst firing in motoneurons represents the basis for generating meaningful movements. Neuromodulators and inhibitory receptor blocker cocktails have been used for years to induce burst firing in vitro; however, the ionic mechanisms in the motoneuron membrane that contribute to burst initiation and amplitude modulation are not fully understood. Small conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (SK) channels regulate excitatory inputs and firing output of motoneurons and interneurons and therefore, are a candidate for mediating bursting behavior. The present study examines the role of SK channels in the generation of synchronized bursting using an in vitro spinal cord preparation from adult mice. Our results show that SK channel inhibition is required for both initiation and amplitude modulation of burst firing. Specifically, administration of the synaptic inhibition blockers strychnine and picrotoxin amplified the spinal circuit excitatory drive but not enough to evoke bursting. However, when SK channels were inhibited using various approaches, the excitatory drive was further amplified, and synchronized bursting was always evoked. Furthermore, graded SK channel inhibition modulated the amplitude of the burst in a dose-dependent manner, which was reversed using SK channel activators. Importantly, modulation of neuronal excitability using multiple approaches failed to mimic the effects of SK modulators, suggesting a specific role for SK channel inhibition in generating bursting. Both NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) and AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate) receptors were found to drive the synchronized bursts. The blocking of gap junctions did not disturb the burst synchrony. These results demonstrate a novel mechanistic role for SK channels in initiating and modulating burst firing of spinal motoneurons.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study demonstrates that cholinergic inhibition or direct blockade of small conductance Ca2+-activated potassium (SK) channels facilitates burst firing in spinal motoneurons. The data provide a novel mechanistic explanation for synchronized bursting initiation and amplitude modulation through SK channel inhibition. Evidence also shows that synchronized bursting is driven by NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate) and AMPA (α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate) receptors and that gap junctions do not mediate motoneuron synchronization in this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amr A Mahrous
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Boonshoft School of Medicine and College of Science and Mathematics, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio; and
| | - Sherif M Elbasiouny
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Boonshoft School of Medicine and College of Science and Mathematics, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio; and .,Department of Biomedical, Industrial, and Human Factors Engineering, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio
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