CA1 Field Research Articles

A Highly Stable Two-Photon Ratiometric Fluorescence Probe for Real-Time Biosensing and Imaging of Nitric Oxide in Brain Tissues and Larval Zebrafish

A Highly Stable Two-Photon Ratiometric Fluorescence Probe for Real-Time Biosensing and Imaging of Nitric Oxide in Brain Tissues and Larval Zebrafish

Combined Preconditioning Reduces the Negative Influence of Cerebral Ischemia on the Morphofunctional Condition of CNS

We studied the influence of combined preconditioning (compound pQ-4 and moderate hypoxia) on morphometrical parameters of neuronal populations in hippocampal fields CA1 and CA3 in rats after bilateral ligation of the common carotid artery. Preconditioning produced a neuroprotective effect, improved survival of pyramidal neurons in the early and delayed periods of modeled ischemia, prevented the formation of necrotic and apoptotic neurons and hyperactivation of microglia, and protected endotheliocytes. The positive influence of preconditioning factors on the morphometric parameters of the brain under ischemic conditions agrees with the results of behavioral tests (open field and elevated plus maze) that demonstrated increased locomotor activity and exploratory behavior of animals.

State of proteolytic and fibrinolytic processes in the brain of rats with experimental diabetes mellitus complicated by cerebrovascular accident in the basin of the carotid arteries

Introduction. The imbalance in the protease-antiprotease system is an integral part of the pathogenesis of acute disorder of cerebrovascular circulation and diabetes mellitus (DM), but its manifestations in the complication of diabetes by ischemia-reperfusion of the brain have not been investigated yet.
 The objective of the work – to study the dynamics of carotid ischemia-reperfusion effect on the proteo- and fibrinolytic activity in brain structures of rats with experimental DM.
 Rats with the four-month streptozotocin DM were modeled bilateral carotene ischemia during 20 minutes. In homogenates of brain structures, indicators of proteo- fibrinolytic activity were determined after 1 hour from the beginning of reperfusion and during the 12th day of the post-ischemic period. In the absence of DM, the proteolytic activity of all or individual indicators il increased in both periods of the post-ischemic period in the cortex of the frontal and occipital lobes, the fields of hippocampus CA2 and CA3, and during the 12th day in the field CA1.
 Results. In rats with diabetes, in all brain structures, there are no changes in the lysis of azo-albumin and azo-casein in both terms of observation and lysis of collagen progressively decreases. In rats without DM in the cortex of the studied particles, fields of the hippocampus CA1 and CA2, all or separate indices of fibrinolytic activity are increased in both periods of the post-ischemic period, in the field CA3 – all indices at the 12th day. In the presence of diabetes in the cortex of both studied lobes and the field CA1, the fibrinolytic activity decreases in the late post-ischemic period, in the fields of CA2 and CA3 – during both observation periods.
 Conclusion. In the brain structures under investigation at both time intervals, the DM eliminates the reaction of low and high molecular weight proteins to the ischemia-reperfusion and suppresses fibrinolytic activity.

Kainate-Induced Degeneration of Hippocampal Neurons. Protective Effect of Activation of the Endocannabinoid System.

We studied the prolonged action of kainic acid on glutamatergic neurons in the dorsal hippocampus and the endocannabinoid-dependent protection against neurodegeneration. The pyramidal neurons of the CA3 field of the hippocampus, as well as granular and mossy cells of the dentate gyrus were examined. Light and electron microscopy revealed substantial damage to the components of the protein-synthesizing (rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus, and polyribosomes) and catabolic (lysosomes, autophagosomes, multivesicular structures, and lipofuscin formations) systems in all cells. Pyramidal and mossy neurons die mainly by the necrotic pathway. The death of granular cells occurred through both apoptosis and necrosis. The most vulnerable cells are mossy neurons located in the hilus. Activation of the endocannabinoid system induced by intracerebral injection of URB597, an inhibitor of degradation of endocannabinoid anandamide, protected the normal structure of the hippocampus and prevented neuronal damage and death induced by KA.

Neuropeptides in the developing human hippocampus under hypoxic-ischemic conditions.

The perinatal period, sensitive for newborn survival, is also one of the most critical moments in human brain development. Perinatal hypoxia due to reduced blood supply to the brain (ischemia) is one of the main causes of neonatal mortality. Brain damage caused by perinatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI) can lead to neuro‐ and psychological disorders. However, its impact seems to be region‐dependent, with the hippocampus being one of the most affected areas. Among the neuronal populations of the hippocampus, some interneuron groups – such as somatostatin‐ or neuropeptide Y‐expressing neurons – seem to be particularly vulnerable. The limited information available about the effects of HI in the hippocampus comes mainly from animal models and adult human studies. This article presents an immunohistochemical analysis of somatostatin (SOM) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression in the developing human hippocampus after perinatal HI. Two rostrocaudal sections of the body of the hippocampus were analysed, and the number of immunostained cells in the polymorphic layer of the dentate gyrus (DG) and the pyramidal cell layer and stratum oriens of the CA3, CA2 and CA1 fields of the hippocampus proper were quantified. The results showed a lower density of both neuropeptides in hypoxic compared to control cases. In the HI group, the number of SOM‐immunoreactive cell bodies was statistically significantly lower in the pyramidal cell layer and stratum oriens of CA1, while the number of NPY‐expressing neurons was statistically lower in the pyramidal cell layer of CA2. Besides, the number of SOM‐expressing neurons was significantly higher in the stratum oriens of CA1 compared to that in CA2. In sum, we observed a different vulnerability of SOM‐ and NPY‐containing neurons in the developing human hippocampus following perinatal HI damage. Our results could contribute to a better understanding of the behaviour of these neuronal populations under stressful conditions during the perinatal period.

Functional connectivity of the hippocampus and its subfields in resting-state networks.

Many neuroimaging studies have shown that the hippocampus participates in a resting‐state network called the default mode network. However, how the hippocampus connects to the default mode network, whether the hippocampus connects to other resting‐state networks and how the different hippocampal subfields take part in resting‐state networks remains poorly understood. Here, we examined these issues using the high spatial‐resolution 7T resting‐state fMRI dataset from the Human Connectome Project. We used data‐driven techniques that relied on spatially‐restricted Independent Component Analysis, Dual Regression and linear mixed‐effect group‐analyses based on participant‐specific brain morphology. The results revealed two main activity hotspots inside the hippocampus. The first hotspot was located in an anterior location and was correlated with the somatomotor network. This network was subserved by co‐activity in the CA1, CA3, CA4 and Dentate Gyrus fields. In addition, there was an activity hotspot that extended from middle to posterior locations along the hippocampal long‐axis and correlated with the default mode network. This network reflected activity in the Subiculum, CA4 and Dentate Gyrus fields. These results show how different sections of the hippocampus participate in two known resting‐state networks and how these two resting‐state networks depend on different configurations of hippocampal subfield co‐activity.

The Rapid Place Field Tuning in Mice Exploring a Novel Environment

Hippocampal place cells are a well-known object of plenty of studies about learning and memory. Their firing patterns, or place fields, constitute cognitive maps that support animal's navigation in space. However, most of the place cell studies used rewarded models, where animals were pre-trained to run back and forth for food or water reward. Thereby a question is still unclear about the speed of formation of such cognitive maps in a novel context, i.e., which time is required for place cells to tune on a special piece of the environment. To address this question and to exclude the influence of explicitly reinforced behavior, we developed a reward-free model where animals can explore a novel environment (custom made circular O-shaped track with visual cues on surrounding curtains, see Fig. 1А). Then we recorded the neural activity from the hippocampal field CA1 of mice with a head-mounted Inscopix nVista HD miniature microscope (see Fig. 1B), while the animals were placed in the track, which was a completely novel environment for them. We aligned these data with trajectories of mice and determined place cells as neurons that have a preferential activation zone (putative place field) and that activated in most of the moments the animal visited the field (i.e., more than in 50% of such cases). As expected, place fields were distributed uniformly across the track, without significant gaps and clusters which might be caused by the proximity of visual cues (Fig. 1C-1D). Then, we estimated the time which is required for each individual cell to begin firing with respect to its place field. The majority of cells got tuned within the first three minutes of context exploration, the distribution of times of first in-field activation can be seen on Fig. 1E. However, different animals demonstrate different exploration dynamics, so we re-calculated this distribution in terms of full laps along the circular track. More than 1/3 of cells got tuned within the first lap, while more than 60% of cells do that within the first three laps. Taken together, these data suggest that a cognitive map is mainly formed while an animal makes it first laps in a novel environment, which is consistent with previous findings in rats. Also, the obtained data should serve as a base for searching for possible behavior or intrinsic triggers for cognitive map formation in a novel environment.

Effect of Berberine Isolated from Barberry Species by Centrifugal Partition Chromatography on Memory and the Expression of Parvalbumin in the Mouse Hippocampus Proper.

Neurodegenerative diseases associated with memory disturbances are important health issues occurring due to a prolonged life span. This article presents the results of a study targeting the emergence of a drug candidate with antiamnesic properties. The effect of berberine (BBR), an isoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the overground parts of Berberis sibirica Pall., on memory and expression of parvalbumin in the mouse hippocampus proper were determined. High-purity BBR was isolated by centrifugal partition chromatography from a methanolic extract from B. sibirica by using a methyl-tert-butyl ether and water (1:1 v/v) solvent system with 10 mmol/L of triethylamine and hydrochloric acid. In an in vivo study, we assessed the influence of the chronic administration of BBR on different stages of memory-related responses in mice. Our results indicated that the chronic administration of BBR in a higher dose (5 mg/kg) improves long-term memory acquisition in mice, as determined in the passive avoidance test. The hippocampal CA1–CA3 fields showed an increased number of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons (PV-IR) and nerve fibers as compared to the control. No significant changes in the dentate gyrus were observed between the groups. The HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS analysis of the biological material revealed the content of BBR as 363.4 ± 15.0 ng (4.11% of RSD) per brain, 15.06 ± 0.89 ng (5.91% of RSD) per hippocampus, and 54.45 ± 1.40 (4.05% of RSD) ng in 100 µL plasma. The study showed that BBR could be a factor influencing the expression of PV in hippocampal neurons. We speculate that BBR may modulate the level of Ca2+ in neurons and thus potentially act as a neuroprotective factor against neuronal damages.

Benincasa hispida alleviates amyloid pathology by inhibition of Keap1/Nrf2-axis: Emphasis on oxidative and inflammatory stress involved in Alzheimer's disease model

ObjectivesAlzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with cognitive and memory impairment. Benincasa hispida is being used in the treatment of various neurological diseases in Ayurveda system of medicine. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of Benincasa hispida fruit extract in the Alzheimer's disease rats. MethodsBenincasa hispida fruits extract was administered orally for 16 weeks at doses of 250 and 500-mg/kg/day. The cognitive deficits were examined by behavioural tests like Morris water maze test, Y-maze and rota-rod test. Biochemical and neurochemical analysis of Acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin levels and anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory markers were evaluated and the mRNA expression of Keap/Nrf2 axis was analysed by RT-PCR. ResultsAluminum chloride (AlCl3) induction altered the behavioural profile and produced significant alterations in the cortical and hippocampal regions of the brain and the treatment with Benincasa hispida extract at doses of 250-mg/kg/day (p<0.05) and 500mg/kg/day (p<0.05) alleviated the acetylcholine, dopamine and serotonin neurotransmitter levels. The antioxidant enzyme markers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH) were increased and the oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde(MDA) was decreased. The inflammatory cytokine levels of TNF-α, IL-1β were decreased in Alzheimer's disease induced rats. We further estimated Keap/Nrf2/HO-1 genes these anti-oxidant genes were upregulated(p < 0.001) in treatment groups. Further, the neuroprotective activity of Benincasa was further confirmed by histopathological studies of hippocampal CA3 fields. ConclusionsThe findings of the current study indicates Benincasa hispida as a possible neuroprotective alternative for Alzheimer's disease.

Structural differences in the hippocampus and amygdala of behaviorally inhibited macaque monkeys.

Behavioral inhibition is a temperamental disposition to react warily when confronted by unfamiliar people, objects, or events. Behaviorally inhibited children are at greater risk of developing anxiety disorders later in life. Previous studies reported that individuals with a history of childhood behavioral inhibition exhibit abnormal activity in the hippocampus and amygdala. However, few studies have investigated the structural differences that may underlie these functional abnormalities. In this exploratory study, we evaluated rhesus monkeys exhibiting a phenotype consistent with human behavioral inhibition. We performed quantitative neuroanatomical analyses that cannot be performed in humans including estimates of the volume and neuron number of distinct hippocampal regions and amygdala nuclei in behaviorally inhibited and control rhesus monkeys. Behaviorally inhibited monkeys had larger volumes of the rostral third of the hippocampal field CA3, smaller volumes of the rostral third of CA2, and smaller volumes of the accessory basal nucleus of the amygdala. Furthermore, behaviorally inhibited monkeys had fewer neurons in the rostral third of CA2. These structural differences may contribute to the functional abnormalities in the hippocampus and amygdala of behaviorally inhibited individuals. These structural findings in monkeys are consistent with a reduced modulation of amygdala activity via prefrontal cortex projections to the accessory basal nucleus. Given the putative roles of the amygdala in affective processing, CA3 in associative learning and CA2 in social memory, increased amygdala and CA3 activity, and diminished CA2 structure and function, may be associated with increased social anxiety and the heritability of behavioral inhibition. The findings from this exploratory study compel follow-up investigations with larger sample sizes and additional analyses to provide greater insight and more definitive answers regarding the neurobiological bases of behavioral inhibition.

The Effect Of Halothane On Number Of The Gad65/67 Positive Cells In Rat Hippocampus At The Midazolam Premedication

The experimental results of halothane effect on GAD65/67 positive cells, number in ÑÀ1 and ÑÀ1 fields of white rat hippocampus are presented in the proposed work. It has been shown, that the number of GAD65/67 positive cells are decreased in CA3 field of hippocampus after 24 hours of halothane anesthesia. Simultaneously the number of the same cells are increased in CA1 field of hippocampus. Midazolam premedication promotes normalization of activity of GAD65/67 which is substantiated by increased number of GAD65/67 positive cells in CA3 field of rat hippocampus after 24 hours.

Electrophysiological Activity and Survival Rate of Rats Nervous Tissue Cells Depends on D/H Isotopic Composition of Medium.

The deuterium content modification in an organism has a neuroprotective effect during the hypoxia model, affecting anxiety, memory and stress resistance. The aim of this work was to elucidate the possible mechanisms of the medium D/H composition modification on nerve cells. We studied the effect of an incubation medium with a 50 ppm deuterium content compared to a medium with 150 ppm on: (1) the activity of Wistar rats’ hippocampus CA1 field neurons, (2) the level of cultured cerebellar neuron death during glucose deprivation and temperature stress, (3) mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the generation of reactive oxygen species in cultures of cerebellar neurons. The results of the analysis showed that the incubation of hippocampal sections in a medium with a 50 ppm deuterium reduced the amplitude of the pop-spike. The restoration of neuron activity was observed when sections were returned to the incubation medium with a 150 ppm deuterium content. An environment with a 50 ppm deuterium did not significantly affect the level of reactive oxygen species in neuron cultures, while MMP decreased by 16–20%. In experiments with glucose deprivation and temperature stress, the medium with 50 ppm increased the death of neurons. Thus, a short exposure of nerve cells in the medium with 50 ppm deuterium acts as an additional stressful factor, which is possibly associated with the violation of the cell energy balance. The decrease in the mitochondrial membrane potential, which is known to be associated with ATP synthesis, indicates that this effect may be associated with the cell energy imbalance. The decrease in the activity of the CA1 field hippocampal neurons may reflect reversible adaptive changes in the operation of fast-reacting ion channels.

Структурные основы изменения межнейронной коммуникации нейронов поля СА3 гиппокампа белых крыс после тяжелой черепно-мозговой травмы

Цель - изучение пирамидных нейронов поля СА3 гиппокампа белых крыс в динамике после тяжелой черепно-мозговой травмы (ТЧМТ). Методы. ТЧМТ моделировали под наркозом с помощью свободно падающего груза массой 200-250 г с высоты 50 см на теменно-затылочную область. Гиппокамп изучали в контроле (n=5), через 1, 3, 5, 7 и 14 сут после ТЧМТ (n=25). Общую оценку состояния нейронов поля СА3 проводили на препаратах окрашенных гематоксилином-эозином, численную плотность нейронов - при окраске по Нисслю, цитоскелет нейронов изучали с помощью реакции иммунотипирования нейрон-специфического структурного белка (МАР-2), синаптические терминали - иммунотипирования синаптофизина (p38). Для визуализации MAP-2 нейронов и р38 синаптических терминалей использовали мультимерный набор NovolinkTM (DAB) Polymer Detection System (Leica Biosystems Newcastle Ltd, Великобритания). Морфометрический анализ проводили на цветных растровых и бинарных изображениях с использованием плагинов программы ImageJ 1.52s. Определяли относительную площадь зон отека-набухания, численную плотность пирамидных нейронов, количество дистрофически и некробиотически измененных нейронов, общую и относительную площадь синаптических терминалей. Результаты. Через 1 сут после ТЧМТ нарастали явления отека-набухания, увеличивалось количество дистрофически и некробиотически измененных нейронов, уменьшалась общая и относительная площадь терминалей. В течение 14 сут общая плотность нейронов уменьшилась на 31%. Параллельно активировались механизмы нейро- и синаптической пластичности, в результате чего восстанавливался цитоскелет поврежденных нейронов и увеличивалось количество межнейронных синапсов (в 1,32 раза выше контроля). Заключение. Восстановление структур межнейронной коммуникации происходило на фоне уменьшения общей численной плотности пирамидных нейронов. Выявленные изменения рассматриваются как основа перманентной компенсаторно-восстановительной реорганизации межнейронных отношений гиппокампа на фоне вторичной ишемии головного мозга. Aim. To study changes in hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons of white rats after severe traumatic brain injury (STBI). Methods. STBI was modeled with a free-falling weight (200-250 g) impact. The hippocampus was studied in control rats (n=5) 1, 3, 5, 7, and 14 days after STBI (n=25). The CA3 field neurons were examined on preparations stained with hematoxylin-eosin and the number of neurons was determined with Nissl staining. The neuronal cytoskeleton was studied by immunotyping of the neuron-specific structural protein MAP-2, and synaptic terminals were studied by immunotyping of synaptophysin (p38). Neuronal MAP-2 and p38 were visualized with a multimeric Novolink™ (DAB) Polymer Detection Systems kit (Leica Biosystems Newcastle Ltd, Great Britain). Morphometric analysis was performed on color raster and binary images using ImageJ 1.52s plugins to determine the relative area of edema and swelling zones, number density of pyramidal neurons, content of dystrophic and necrobiotically altered neurons, and total and relative areas of synaptic terminals. Results. On the next day after STBI, manifestations of edema and swelling and the content of dystrophic and necrobiotically altered neurons were increased whereas the total and relative areas of terminals were decreased. In 14 days, the total density of neurons decreased by 31%, which was in parallel with activation of mechanisms for neuro- and synaptic plasticity. As a result, the cytoskeleton of damaged neurons recovered, and the content of interneuronal synapses increased 1.32 times compared to the control. Conclusion. The structural recovery of interneuronal communication was associated with a decrease in the total number density of pyramidal neurons. These changes were regarded as a base for permanent compensatory and restorative reorganization of hippocampal interneuronal relations in secondary cerebral ischemia.

Mecamylamine inhibits seizure-like activity in CA1-CA3 hippocampus through antagonism to nicotinic receptors.

Cholinergic modulation of hippocampal network function is implicated in multiple behavioral and cognitive states. Activation of nicotinic and muscarinic acetylcholine receptors affects neuronal excitability, synaptic transmission and rhythmic oscillations in the hippocampus. In this work, we studied the ability of the cholinergic system to sustain hippocampal epileptiform activity independently from glutamate and GABA transmission. Simultaneous CA3 and CA1 field potential recordings were obtained during the perfusion of hippocampal slices with the aCSF containing AMPA, NMDA and GABA receptor antagonists. Under these conditions, spontaneous epileptiform discharges synchronous between CA3 and CA1 were recorded. Epileptiform discharges were blocked by addition of the calcium-channel blocker Cd2+ and disappeared in CA1 after a surgical cut between CA3 and CA1. Cholinergic antagonist mecamylamine abolished CA3-CA1 synchronous epileptiform discharges, while antagonists of α7 and α4β2 nAChRs, MLA and DhβE, had no effect. Our results suggest that activation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors can sustain CA3-CA1 synchronous epileptiform activity independently from AMPA, NMDA and GABA transmission. In addition, mecamylamine, but not α7 and α4β2 nAChRs antagonists, reduced bicuculline-induced seizure-like activity. The ability of mecamylamine to decrease hippocampal network synchronization might be associated with its therapeutic effects in a wide variety of CNS disorders including addiction, depression and anxiety.

Frequency-dependent layer-specific differences in short-term synaptic plasticity in the dorsal and ventral CA1 hippocampal field.

Information from the entorhinal cortex arrives to the hippocampal CA1 microcircuit directly through the temporoammonic path (TA) that terminates in the stratum lacunosum-moleculare (SLM), and indirectly through Schaffer collateral pathway (SC) that terminates in the stratum radiatum (SR). By virtue of this input convergence, CA1 circuitry may act to compare and integrate incoming cortical information. Although a remarkable dorsal-ventral difference in short-term plasticity (STP) has been recently described at SC-CA1 synapses, the corresponding properties at TA-CA1 synapses have not been examined. Here, we report that stimulation of TA in the dorsal hippocampus produces significant facilitation of all conditioned responses evoked by 1-30Hz, peaking at 20-30Hz, and significant depression of steady-state responses to 50-100Hz. Dorsal SC-CA1 synapses display a similar pattern of responses, yet, facilitation peaked at 10Hz and depression (at 75-100Hz) is weaker. Strikingly, stimulation of TA in the ventral hippocampus produces facilitation of steady-state responses to 1-30Hz and highly contrasts with the depression of SC-CA1 synapses. Steady-state responses to 40-100Hz in the ventral hippocampus depress in both layers similarly. High-frequency TA input (40-100Hz) to the dorsal hippocampus depresses more in proximal than in distal SLM, while low-frequency (1-3Hz) TA input to the ventral hippocampus facilitates more in distal than in proximal SLM. The present evidence suggests that direct and indirect entorhinal cortical inputs across the septotemporal extent of hippocampal CA1 field display frequency selectivity both in the radial and transverse axes, and that a rapid information processing may take place through direct ventral hippocampal CA1-EC circuit interactions independently of trisynaptic circuit.

Sex-Dependent Actions of Prenatal Stress on the Activity of the Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal-Adrenocortical System in Rats: The Role of Corticosteroid Receptors in the Brain

Prenatal stress is regarded as a risk factor for the development of diseases such as mental, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders in later life. Dysregulation of the activity of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-adrenocortical system (HHAS) is one of the mechanisms producing these disorders. Regulation of the HHAS is mediated by two types of receptor – mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid receptors (GR) – in the corticolimbic structures of the brain. The link between prenatal stress, sex, and HHAS activity, as well as the role of central MR and GR in this interaction, has received insufficient study. We have investigated the effects of prenatal stress on HHAS activity in adult male and female rats and the expression of GR and MR in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Prenatal stress was modeled by subjecting pregnant female Wistar rats to 1-h restraint from days 15 to 19 of pregnancy. Basal HHAS activity and stress corticosterone levels in response to 30-min restraint were studied in their adult offspring. GR and MR expression was assessed by western blotting and also, in the hippocampus, by an immunohistochemical method. Prenatally stressed males displayed prolonged stress responses, while females showed increases in basal and stress reactivity, along with increases in the sensitivity of the HHAS to feedback signals. In males, changes in HHAS activity were accompanied by decreases in GR and MR content in the hippocampus and mPFC with an unaltered GR:MR ratio. Prenatally stressed females showed increased expression of GR protein and decreased quantities of MR protein in the hippocampus and an increased GR:MR ratio in both areas of the brain. The hippocampus of male and female animals showed changes in GR and MR content in field CA3 and the dentate gyrus. These data indicate that sex-dependent changes in GR and MR protein expression in the hippocampus and mPFC contribute to modifications of HHAS activity due to prenatal stress.

Pentylenetetrazol-induced seizures in adult rats are associated with plastic changes to the dendritic spines on hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons

Epilepsy is a chronic neurobehavioral disorder whereby an imbalance between neurochemical excitation and inhibition at the synaptic level provokes seizures. Various experimental models have been used to study epilepsy, including that based on acute or chronic administration of Pentylenetetrazol (PTZ). In this study, a single PTZ dose (60 mg/kg) was administered to adult male rats and 30 min later, various neurobiological parameters were studied related to the transmission and modulation of excitatory impulses in pyramidal neurons of the hippocampal CA1 field. Rats experienced generalized seizures 1−3 min after PTZ administration, accompanied by elevated levels of Synaptophysin and Glutaminase. This response suggests presynaptic glutamate release is exacerbated to toxic levels, which eventually provokes neuronal death as witnessed by the higher levels of Caspase-3, TUNEL and GFAP. Similarly, the increase in PSD-95 suggests that viable dendritic spines are functional. Indeed, the increase in stubby and wide spines is likely related to de novo spinogenesis, and the regulation of neuronal excitability, which could represent a plastic response to the synaptic over-excitation. Furthermore, the increase in mushroom spines could be associated with the storage of cognitive information and the potentiation of thin spines until they are transformed into mushroom spines. However, the reduction in BDNF suggests that the activity of these spines would be down-regulated, may in part be responsible for the cognitive decline related to hippocampal function in patients with epilepsy.

Long-Term Sequelae of Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats: A Morphological, Behavioral, and Electrophysiological Study

The long-term sequelae of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in humans are linked with the development of convulsions and cognitive and emotional disorders and are also associated with acceleration of brain aging processes and the formation of hippocampal sclerosis (HS). The mechanisms of these complications remain incompletely understood and treatment is extremely difficult. Existing data obtained using experimental models in animals do not provide a clear assessment of these mechanisms. The present study clarifies the long-term histological, behavioral, and electrophysiological sequelae of TBI in rats. Six months after lateral hydrodynamic blows, animals displayed severe asymmetrical gliosis in hippocampal field CA3 and the dental gyrus in the form of fibrillary astrogliosis, with an increase in the number of glial cells and depletion of the pyramidal layer of field CA3 in the ipsilateral hemisphere (corresponding to type 3 HS in humans); sham-operated animals displayed only symmetrical gliosis (isolated gliosis in the human HS classification). The behavior of the rats six months after TBI and the sham procedure was characterized by decreases in motor activity, which some signs of increased anxiety. Behavioral impairments were more severe in rats after TBI, mainly due to decreases in exploratory activity. The long-term period of TBI was characterized on ECoG by prolonged spike-wave discharges in the cortex and asymmetry of epileptiform spikes in the hippocampus. Two rats in the late period demonstrated epileptic seizures. Intense brain aging processes in rats with TBI and the development of neurodegenerative changes in the hippocampus may be linked with chronic remote neuroinflammation, which plays an important role in the development of posttraumatic epilepsy and dementia.

CD200 Change Is Involved in Neuronal Death in Gerbil Hippocampal CA1 Field Following Transient Forebrain Ischemia and Postischemic Treatment with Risperidone Displays Neuroprotection without CD200 Change.

It has been reported that CD200 (Cluster of Differentiation 200), expressed in neurons, regulates microglial activation in the central nervous system, and a decrease in CD200 expression causes an increase in microglial activation and neuronal loss. The aim of this study was to investigate time-dependent changes in CD200 expression in the hippocampus proper (CA1, 2, and 3 fields) after transient forebrain ischemia for 5 min in gerbils. In this study, 5-min ischemia evoked neuronal death (loss) of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 field, but not in the CA2/3 fields, at 5 days postischemia. In the sham group, CD200 expression was found in pyramidal neurons of the CA1 field, and the immunoreactivity in the group with ischemia was decreased at 6 h postischemia, dramatically increased at 12 h postischemia, decreased (to level found at 6 h postischemia) at 1 and 2 days postischemia, and significantly increased again at 5 days postischemia. At 5 days postischemia, CD200 immunoreactivity was strongly expressed in microglia and GABAergic neurons. However, in the CA3 field, the change in CD200 immunoreactivity in pyramidal neurons was markedly weaker than that in the CA1 field, showing there was no expression of CD 200 in microglia and GABAergic neurons. In addition, treatment of 10 mg/kg risperidone (an atypical antipsychotic drug) after the ischemia hardly changed CD200 immunoreactivity in the CA1 field, showing that CA1 pyramidal neurons were protected from the ischemic injury. These results indicate that the transient ischemia-induced change in CD200 expression may be associated with specific and selective neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 field following transient forebrain ischemia.

Morphofunctional Characteristics of the Hippocampus of White Rats in the Acute Period After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury During the Use of L-lysine Aescinat

Aim of study. The study is devoted to the effect of L-lysine aescinat on the nervous tissue of the CA1 and CA3 fields of the hippocampus of the brain of white rats in the acute period after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).Material and methods. TBI was simulated by applying a blow to the parieto-occipital region with a freely falling weight weighing 200-250 grams from a height of 50 cm using a special rail rack. The objectives of the study were: 1) comparative morphometric assessment of the degree of hydration, cyto- and glioarchitectonics of different layers of CA1 and CA3 fields after ischemia without treatment; 2) the effect of L-lysine aescinat on these indicators. We used histological (staining of sections with hematoxylin-eosin and Nissl), immunohistochemical (for NSE, MAP-2 and GFAP) and morphometric methods. On thin (4 μm) serial frontal sections of the hippocampus, neurons, astrocytes, microvessels and neuropiles were studied in control (intact animals, n=5) and 1 and 3 days after injury without treatment (n=10, comparison group) and with treatment ( n = 10, main group). The number density of neurons was determined using the Nissl staining of cells and by the reaction to NSE. The cytoskeleton of neurons was studied by detecting MAP-2, and astroglia by GFAP. On color raster images (staining with hematoxylin and eosin, x100) using the Find Maxima plug-in filter, the zones of maximum brightness were determined, which were then analyzed using Analyze Particles from the ImageJ 1.52s program. Zones of maximum brightness corresponded to areas of the hippocampus with a high degree of hydration of the nervous tissue - edema-swelling. The nature of the distribution, statistical hypotheses, and plotting were checked using Statistica 8.0 software and R environment.Results. In control animals, normochromic neurons without signs of changes in the cytoskeleton prevailed in all layers of fields CA1 and CA3, and a low degree of hydration of the nervous tissue was noted (the relative proportion of zones of maximum brightness was 5–8%). One and 3 days after TBI, there was a statistically significant increase in the focal content of dystrophic and necrobiotically altered neurons (95% confidence interval: 52–78%), manifestations of reactive gliosis were noted, and the proportion of zones of maximum brightness increased to 16%. Statistically significant layer-by-layer differences were revealed between the CA1 and CA3 fields of the hippocampus. The use of L-lysine aescinat had a statistically significant effect on the morphometric parameters of the nervous tissue of the hippocampus.Conclusion. In the early post-traumatic period after TBI, the degree of hydration of the nervous tissue of the hippocampus increased. Heteromorphicity of dystrophic and necrobiotic changes in different layers of CA1 and CA3 fields was noted. L-lysine aescinate had a statistically significant positive effect on these changes. To a greater extent, this is typical for the CA3 field. The revealed changes are considered not only as patho-, but also as sanogenetic structural mechanisms of protection and reorganization of the hippocampus in the acute post-traumatic period.1. In the acute period (1−3 days) after severe traumatic brain injury, the degree of hydration of all components of the hippocampal nervous tissue increased. In the group without treatment, 3 days after injury, the relative volume of edema-swelling zones varied from 10 to 13% in CA1 (control 3-7%) and from 8 to 16% in CA3 (control 5–10%).2. The heteromorphism of hydropic changes in the molecular layer, the layer of pyramidal neurons and the polymorphic layer was established. The maximum increase in the volume of free water (more than twofold) was characteristic of the molecular and polymorphic layer CA1, as well as the polymorphic layer CA3.3. The use of L-lysine aescinat in the acute period significantly changed the manifestations of hydropic dystrophy. One day after injury, the volume of free water increased in comparison with animals without treatment, and then, after 3 days, decreased, but remained higher than in the comparison group. The maximum effect of the drug was noted in field CA3.