Dual projections of single cholinergic and aminergic brainstem neurons to the thalamus and basal forebrain in the rat

Losier, Bruno J.; Semba, Kazue

doi:10.1016/0006-8993(93)90350-v

Cited by 105 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Therefore, although NADPHdiaphorase staining is not a general feature of cholinergic cells, it is present in the majority of the cholinergic input to the visual thalamus and cortex. The reciprocal connections between the basal forebrain and the parabrachial region (Haring and Wang, 1986;Jones and Beaudet, 1987;Parent et al, 1988;Semba et al, 1988;Jones and Cuello, 1989;Hazrati and Parent, 1991a;Losier and Semba, 1993) further suggest that the release of ACh and nitric oxide in the visual thalamus and cortex may be synchronized during arousal. Furthermore, because nitric oxide apparently acts by stimulating soluble guanyl cyclase to increase levels of cyclic guanosine 3',5'-monophosphate in target cells (Knowles et al, 1989), cholinergic arousal mechanisms may include changes in the states of cells in the visual system via second messenger systems.…”

Section: Functional Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 95%

GABAergic projection from the basal forebrain to the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus in the cat

Bickford¹,

Günlük²,

Horn³

et al. 1994

J of Comparative Neurology

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We examined the projection from the basal forebrain to thalamic and cortical regions of the visual system in cats, with particular reference to the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus, the lateral geniculate nucleus, and the striate cortex. First, we made injections of wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (WGA-HRP) into the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus and found cells labeled by retrograde transport in the lateral nucleus basalis magnocellularis. Injection of biocytin into the basal forebrain resulted in the anterograde labeling of a dense band of fibers and terminals within the entire thalamic reticular nucleus; this labeling extended through the visual sector including the perigeniculate nucleus. No orthograde labeling was found in the lateral geniculate nucleus. Next, we addressed the issue of putative neurotransmitters used by this pathway using a variety of immunocytochemical and histochemical markers. In this fashion, we identified two populations of cells in the nucleus basalis magnocellularis of the cat; large cholinergic cells that contain choline acetyltransferase, NADPH-diaphorase, and calbindin and that project to striate cortex and smaller cells that contain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamic acid decarboxylase, and parvalbumin and that project to the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus. We also examined at the electron microscopic level terminals in the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus that were labeled from a biocytin injection in the basal forebrain. Most of these terminals form symmetric contacts onto dendrites and were revealed by postembedding immunocytochemical staining to be positive for GABA.

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Section: Functional Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 95%

GABAergic projection from the basal forebrain to the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus in the cat

Bickford¹,

Günlük²,

Horn³

et al. 1994

J of Comparative Neurology

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“…The NBM is part of the ascending reticular activating system, which sends projections to the neocortex and amygdala to modulate arousal and attention (42). Activation of the NBM is governed partly by connections from the PPTg, located in the brainstem (43). In addition to AchE and ChAT, we analyzed c-Fos expression in the PPTg and observed few Fos-positive cells in aged mice, regardless of time of night.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Altered temporal patterns of anxiety in aged and amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice

Bedrosian

Herring

Weil

et al. 2011

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Both normal aging and dementia are associated with dysregulation of the biological clock, which contributes to disrupted circadian organization of physiology and behavior. Diminished circadian organization in conjunction with the loss of cholinergic input to the cortex likely contributes to impaired cognition and behavior. One especially notable and relatively common circadian disturbance among the aged is "sundowning syndrome," which is characterized by exacerbated anxiety, agitation, locomotor activity, and delirium during the hours before bedtime. Sundowning has been reported in both dementia patients and cognitively intact elderly individuals living in institutions; however, little is known about temporal patterns in anxiety and agitation, and the neurobiological basis of these rhythms remains unspecified. In the present study, we explored the diurnal pattern of anxiety-like behavior in aged and amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice. We then attempted to treat the observed behavioral disturbances in the aged mice using chronic nightly melatonin treatment. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that time-of-day differences in acetylcholinesterase and choline acetyltransferase expression and general neuronal activation (i.e., c-Fos expression) coincide with the behavioral symptoms. Our results show a temporal pattern of anxiety-like behavior that emerges in elderly mice. This behavioral pattern coincides with elevated locomotor activity relative to adult mice near the end of the dark phase, and with time-dependent changes in basal forebrain acetylcholinesterase expression. Transgenic APP mice show a similar behavioral phenomenon that is not observed among agematched wild-type mice. These results may have useful applications to the study and treatment of age-and dementia-related circadian behavioral disturbances, namely, sundowning syndrome.Alzheimer's disease | cholinesterase | nucleus basalis of Meynert | behavioral and psychological signs and symptoms of dementia B oth normal aging and dementia are associated with disturbances in the biological clock that contribute to dramatic circadian disorganization, including the sleep-wake cycle, body temperature rhythm, and daily patterns of hormone release (1). Generally, aging is associated with reduced amplitudes among these daily rhythms; the most severe changes are associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) (2). Circadian disorders affect more than 80% of individuals over age 65 (3) because of several converging factors; loss of neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, decreased melatonin and melatonin receptor sensitivity, and minimal zeitgebers because of lifestyle all contribute to circadian dysfunction (1, 4).Normal aging and dementia are also associated with impairments in cognition and behavior, in part caused by loss of cholinergic input to the cortex (5). In particular, parts of the basal forebrain, most notably the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM), undergo degenerative changes, such as down-regulation of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity (the r...

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“…The decrease in Achase activity in the frontal cortex (12) and the lack of change in enzyme activity in the cerebral cortex suggest an effect of REM sleep deprivation on a subpopulation of forebrain basal cholinergic neurons. The pattern of the effect of REM sleep deprivation on Achase activity (decreased activity in frontal cortex with no change in cerebral cortex and increased activity in pons, medulla oblongata and thalamus) seems to represent the functional complexity of cholinergic nuclei in the basal forebrain and brainstem and their role in different brain functions (1,11,36,37,40).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid eye movement sleep deprivation induces an increase in acetylcholinesterase activity in discrete rat brain regions

Benedito

Camarini

2001

Braz J Med Biol Res

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Some upper brainstem cholinergic neurons (pedunculopontine and laterodorsal tegmental nuclei) are involved in the generation of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and project rostrally to the thalamus and caudally to the medulla oblongata. A previous report showed that 96 h of REM sleep deprivation in rats induced an increase in the activity of brainstem acetylcholinesterase (Achase), the enzyme which inactivates acetylcholine (Ach) in the synaptic cleft. There was no change in the enzymes activity in the whole brain and cerebrum. The components of the cholinergic synaptic endings (for example, Achase) are not uniformly distributed throughout the discrete regions of the brain. In order to detect possible regional changes we measured Achase activity in several discrete rat brain regions (medulla oblongata, pons, thalamus, striatum, hippocampus and cerebral cortex) after 96 h of REM sleep deprivation. Naive adult male Wistar rats were deprived of REM sleep using the flower-pot technique, while control rats were left in their home cages. Total, membrane-bound and soluble Achase activities (nmol of thiocholine formed min -1 mg protein -1 ) were assayed photometrically. The results (mean ± SD) obtained showed a statistically significant (Student t-test) increase in total Achase activity in the pons (control: 147.8 ± 12.8, REM sleep-deprived: 169.3 ± 17.4, N = 6 for both groups, P<0.025) and thalamus (control: 167.4 ± 29.0, REM sleep-deprived: 191.9 ± 15.4, N = 6 for both groups, P<0.05). Increases in membrane-bound Achase activity in the pons (control: 171.0 ± 14.7, REM sleep-deprived: 189.5 ± 19.5, N = 6 for both groups, P<0.05) and soluble enzyme activity in the medulla oblongata (control: 147.6 ± 16.3, REM sleep-deprived: 163.8 ± 8.3, N = 6 for both groups, P<0.05) were also observed. There were no statistically significant differences in the enzymes activity in the other brain regions assayed. The present findings show that the increase in Achase activity induced by REM sleep deprivation was specific to the pons, a brain region where cholinergic neurons involved in REM generation are located, and also to brain regions which receive cholinergic input from the pons (the thalamus and medulla oblongata). During REM sleep extracellular levels of Ach are higher in the pons, medulla oblongata and thalamus. The increase in Achase activity in these brain areas after REM sleep deprivation suggests a higher rate of Ach turnover.

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Dual projections of single cholinergic and aminergic brainstem neurons to the thalamus and basal forebrain in the rat

Cited by 105 publications

References 49 publications

GABAergic projection from the basal forebrain to the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus in the cat

GABAergic projection from the basal forebrain to the visual sector of the thalamic reticular nucleus in the cat

Altered temporal patterns of anxiety in aged and amyloid precursor protein (APP) transgenic mice

Rapid eye movement sleep deprivation induces an increase in acetylcholinesterase activity in discrete rat brain regions

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