Multiple-channel Recording Research Articles

Activity of the Sodium Leak Channel Maintains the Excitability of Paraventricular Thalamus Glutamatergic Neurons to Resist Anesthetic Effects of Sevoflurane in Mice.

Stimulation of the paraventricular thalamus has been found to enhance anesthesia recovery; however, the underlying molecular mechanism by which general anesthetics modulate paraventricular thalamus is unclear. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that the sodium leak channel (NALCN) maintains neuronal activity in the paraventricular thalamus to resist anesthetic effects of sevoflurane in mice. Chemogenetic and optogenetic manipulations, in vivo multiple-channel recordings, and electroencephalogram recordings were used to investigate the role of paraventricular thalamus neuronal activity in sevoflurane anesthesia. Virus-mediated knockdown and/or overexpression was applied to determine how NALCN influenced excitability of paraventricular thalamus glutamatergic neurons under sevoflurane. Viral tracers and local field potentials were used to explore the downstream pathway. Single neuronal spikes in the paraventricular thalamus were suppressed by sevoflurane anesthesia and recovered during emergence. Optogenetic activation of paraventricular thalamus glutamatergic neurons shortened the emergence period from sevoflurane anesthesia, while chemogenetic inhibition had the opposite effect. Knockdown of the NALCN in the paraventricular thalamus delayed the emergence from sevoflurane anesthesia (recovery time: from 24 ± 14 to 64 ± 19 s, P < 0.001; concentration for recovery of the righting reflex: from 1.13% ± 0.10% to 0.97% ± 0.13%, P < 0.01). As expected, the overexpression of the NALCN in the paraventricular thalamus produced the opposite effects. At the circuit level, knockdown of the NALCN in the paraventricular thalamus decreased the neuronal activity of the nucleus accumbens, as indicated by the local field potential and decreased single neuronal spikes in the nucleus accumbens. Additionally, the effects of NALCN knockdown in the paraventricular thalamus on sevoflurane actions were reversed by optical stimulation of the nucleus accumbens. Activity of the NALCN maintains the excitability of paraventricular thalamus glutamatergic neurons to resist the anesthetic effects of sevoflurane in mice.

A novel low-cost electrode for recording the local field potential of freely moving rat's brain.

Local field potentials (LFPs) are involved in almost all cognitive activities of animals. Several kinds of recording electrodes are used for recording LFPs in freely moving animals, including commercial and homemade electrodes. However, commercial recording electrodes are expensive, and their relatively fixed size often causes a steric hindrance effect, especially when combining deep brain stimulation (DBS) with LFP recording, which may not always satisfy the aim of researchers. Currently, an increasing number of researchers are designing their own recording electrodes to lower research costs. Nevertheless, there is no simple universal method to produce low-cost recording electrodes with a specific size according to the target brain area. Thus, we developed a simple method for quickly producing low-cost multiple-channel recording electrodes. To inspect the effectiveness of our self-designed electrode, LFPs were recorded in a Parkinson’s disease (PD) rat model, and an electrical stimulation electrode was implanted into the subthalamic nucleus to verify the space-saving ability of the self-designed recording electrode. The results showed that <30 min was needed to prepare an electrode and that the electrode materials cost <5 dollars. Further investigations showed that our electrode successfully recorded the beta oscillations (12–40 Hz) in the PD rat model. Thus, this method will greatly reduce the cost of recording electrodes and save time for researchers. Additionally, the small size of the electrode will further facilitate DBS research.

Bisphenol A exposure inhibits contrast sensitivity in cats involving increased response noise and inhibitory synaptic transmission

Contrast sensitivity (CS) is one of the primary fundamental factors determining how well we can see, and it directly influences object recognition. Whether bisphenol-A (BPA, an environmental xenoestrogen) can perturb contrast detection in the visual system has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, we analyzed CS of single neurons in the primary visual cortex (area 17, A17) of cats before and after BPA exposure using a multiple-channel recording technique. The results showed that CS of A17 neurons was markedly depressed with an increased contrast threshold after two hour of intravenous BPA administration, which had a positive correlation with decreased firing rates of A17 neurons. Additionally, responses of these neurons presented an overt increase in the trial-to-trail response variability (a kind of neuronal noise), which could disturb the information-filtering function of single neurons. We also found that neuronal CS in the visual relay station was not disturbed after BPA administration, which rules out the contribution of CS alteration in the optical pathway. Importantly, acute BPA treatment obviously increased the inhibitory innervation to the visual pyramidal neurons. This implies that alteration of intracortical inhibitory regulation contributes to the compromised contrast detection in the visual system after BPA treatment.

Reform and thinking of physiological techniques teaching

The traditional medical physiology curriculum is difficult to meet the training requirements for biotechnology specialty. Aiming at the goal of professional training, we carried out the reform for the curriculum of physiological techniques, including changing the physiology curriculum system, carrying out patch-clamp recording, multiple-channel recording, behavioral experiments and self-directed experiments and using PBL and microclass teaching methods. Through these processes, the aim is to enable students to master the basic theoretical knowledge of physiology and keep up with the frontier research technology. Key words: Research experiments; Biotechnology; Physiological techniques curriculum; Whole-cell clamp recording

Bisphenol A exposure perturbs visual function of adult cats by remodeling the neuronal activity in the primary visual pathway.

Bisphenol A (BPA), a common environmental xenoestrogen, has been implicated in physiological and behavioral impairment, but the neuronal basis remains elusive. Although various synaptic mechanisms have been shown to mediate BPA-induced brain deficits, there are almost no reports addressing its underlying physiological mechanisms at the individual neuron level, particularly in the primary visual system. In the present study, using multiple-channel recording technique, we recorded the responses of single neurons in the primary visual system of cats to various direction stimuli both before and after BPA exposure. The results showed that the orientation selectivity of neurons in the primary visual cortex (area 17, A17) was obviously decreased after 2h of intravenous BPA administration (0.2mg/kg). Moreover, there were worse performances of information transmission of A17 neurons, presenting markedly decreased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). To some extent, these functional decreases were attributable to the altered information inputs from lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN), which showed an increased spontaneous activity. Additionally, local injection of BPA (3.3μg/ml) in A17 resulted in an obvious increase in orientation selectivity and a decrease in neuronal activity, involving enhanced activity of fast-spiking inhibitory interneurons. In conclusion, our results first demonstrate that acute BPA exposure can restrict the visual perception of cats, mainly depending on the alteration of the LGN projection, not the intercortical interaction. Importantly, BPA-induced-brain deficits might not only be confined to the cortical level but also occur as early as at the subcortical level.

P.2.g.001 - Cell cycle regulation of the hippocampal progenitor cells in an animal model of depression and after fluoxetine treatment

Studies have reported divergent behavioral effects of depression on spontaneous vs. stimulus-evoked pain. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are still unclear. The present study used a depression model of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) and pain models for spontaneous pain (i.e., the formalin test) and acute evoked pain (i.e., noxious thermal stimulation) in rats. The activity of neurons within thalamo-cortical circuits in the lateral and medial pain pathways was recorded by a multiple-channel recording technique, and behaviors were observed simultaneously. The results confirmed our previous findings that rats exposed to UCMS tended to exhibit decreased pain sensitivity to experimental stimuli but increased behavioral responses to ongoing pain. Based on the analysis of single-unit responses, the results demonstrated that the processing of spontaneous vs. evoked pain in a depressive-like state was altered in the opposite direction (activation vs. inhibition). The ensemble encoding analysis revealed that exposure to UCMS gave rise to enhanced inter-regional functional connectivity in spontaneous pain processing, but did not influence that of evoked pain. In addition, different brain activation patterns underlying the processing of spontaneous vs. evoked pain were observed. These findings revealed that the distinct response patterns of neurons within the pain-related brain circuits, especially in the affective pain pathway, mediate the divergent effects of depression on spontaneous vs. evoked pain. This is also the first report on the electrophysiology of depression models that provides direct evidence that the effect of depression on spontaneous and evoked pain may involve different brain mechanisms.

Brain-network mechanisms underlying the divergent effects of depression on spontaneous versus evoked pain in rats: A multiple single-unit study

Studies have reported divergent behavioral effects of depression on spontaneous vs. stimulus-evoked pain. However, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are still unclear. The present study used a depression model of unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) and pain models for spontaneous pain (i.e., the formalin test) and acute evoked pain (i.e., noxious thermal stimulation) in rats. The activity of neurons within thalamo-cortical circuits in the lateral and medial pain pathways was recorded by a multiple-channel recording technique, and behaviors were observed simultaneously. The results confirmed our previous findings that rats exposed to UCMS tended to exhibit decreased pain sensitivity to experimental stimuli but increased behavioral responses to ongoing pain. Based on the analysis of single-unit responses, the results demonstrated that the processing of spontaneous vs. evoked pain in a depressive-like state was altered in the opposite direction (activation vs. inhibition). The ensemble encoding analysis revealed that exposure to UCMS gave rise to enhanced inter-regional functional connectivity in spontaneous pain processing, but did not influence that of evoked pain. In addition, different brain activation patterns underlying the processing of spontaneous vs. evoked pain were observed. These findings revealed that the distinct response patterns of neurons within the pain-related brain circuits, especially in the affective pain pathway, mediate the divergent effects of depression on spontaneous vs. evoked pain. This is also the first report on the electrophysiology of depression models that provides direct evidence that the effect of depression on spontaneous and evoked pain may involve different brain mechanisms.

Intelligent operating theater: Technical details for information broadcasting and incident detection system

This paper introduces an intelligent operating theater equipped with a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner and video recording and broadcasting system to enhance the quality of surgery. To reduce error, intraoperative incidents are detected and dealt with using semi-automatic computer algorithm. A multiple-channel video recording and broadcasting system was installed in an operating room and the surgical procedure was recorded. The supervising surgeon monitored the operation in real-time from outside the operating room. Information sharing via the intra-hospital network improved the work efficiency of staff. The amount of motion was estimated from recorded file size based on the principle of inter-frame video compression. A time period for which the file size significantly increased compared to those for neighboring time periods was chosen and the majority voting technique was applied to detect events using six channels of the video. A change in file size indicated a phase change of the surgical procedure. The proposed method is promising for future daily clinical procedure.

ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF RAA AND LAA IN 48 H AF CANINE WITH MEA CHIP TECHNIQUE

ObjectivesTo explore electrical characteristics of RAA and LAA in 48 h AF canine with MEA chip technique.MethodsTwelve adult healthy mongrel canine were randomly divided into two groups:pacing group and control...

Channel-forming activities in the glycosomal fraction from the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei.

BackgroundGlycosomes are a specialized form of peroxisomes (microbodies) present in unicellular eukaryotes that belong to the Kinetoplastea order, such as Trypanosoma and Leishmania species, parasitic protists causing severe diseases of livestock and humans in subtropical and tropical countries. The organelles harbour most enzymes of the glycolytic pathway that is responsible for substrate-level ATP production in the cell. Glycolysis is essential for bloodstream-form Trypanosoma brucei and enzymes comprising this pathway have been validated as drug targets. Glycosomes are surrounded by a single membrane. How glycolytic metabolites are transported across the glycosomal membrane is unclear.Methods/Principal FindingsWe hypothesized that glycosomal membrane, similarly to membranes of yeast and mammalian peroxisomes, contains channel-forming proteins involved in the selective transfer of metabolites. To verify this prediction, we isolated a glycosomal fraction from bloodstream-form T.brucei and reconstituted solubilized membrane proteins into planar lipid bilayers. The electrophysiological characteristics of the channels were studied using multiple channel recording and single channel analysis. Three main channel-forming activities were detected with current amplitudes 70–80 pA, 20–25 pA, and 8–11 pA, respectively (holding potential +10 mV and 3.0 M KCl as an electrolyte). All channels were in fully open state in a range of voltages ±150 mV and showed no sub-conductance transitions. The channel with current amplitude 20–25 pA is anion-selective (P K+/P Cl−∼0.31), while the other two types of channels are slightly selective for cations (P K+/P Cl− ratios ∼1.15 and ∼1.27 for the high- and low-conductance channels, respectively). The anion-selective channel showed an intrinsic current rectification that may suggest a functional asymmetry of the channel's pore.Conclusions/SignificanceThese results indicate that the membrane of glycosomes apparently contains several types of pore-forming channels connecting the glycosomal lumen and the cytosol.

Engineering heart tissue grafts improve electrical characteristics

ObjectiveTo study electrical characteristics after engineering heart tissue (EHT)transplantation in myocardial infarction (MI) SD rat by a new technique of microelectrode arrays (MEA).MethodsThirty SD rats of both sexes weighing 220∼250g...

Estimation of independent and dependent components of non-invasive EMG using fast ICA: validation in recognising complex gestures

The identification of a number of active muscles during complex actions is the useful information to identify different gestures. Biosignals such as surface electromyogram (sEMG) are a result of the summation of electrical activity of a number of sources. The complexity of the anatomy and actions makes it difficult in identifying the number of active sources from the multiple channel recordings. This paper addresses two applications of independent component analysis (ICA) on sEMG: the first one is to evaluate the use of ICA for the separation of bioelectric signals when the number of active sources may not be known. The second application is to identify complex hand gestures using decomposed sEMG. The theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that the ICA is suitable for the separation of myoelectric signals. The results identify the usage of ICA for identifying complex gestures.

Pxmp2 Is a Channel-Forming Protein in Mammalian Peroxisomal Membrane

BackgroundPeroxisomal metabolic machinery requires a continuous flow of organic and inorganic solutes across peroxisomal membrane. Concerning small solutes, the molecular nature of their traffic has remained an enigma.Methods/Principal FindingsIn this study, we show that disruption in mice of the Pxmp2 gene encoding Pxmp2, which belongs to a family of integral membrane proteins with unknown function, leads to partial restriction of peroxisomal membrane permeability to solutes in vitro and in vivo. Multiple-channel recording of liver peroxisomal preparations reveals that the channel-forming components with a conductance of 1.3 nS in 1.0 M KCl were lost in Pxmp2 −/− mice. The channel-forming properties of Pxmp2 were confirmed with recombinant protein expressed in insect cells and with native Pxmp2 purified from mouse liver. The Pxmp2 channel, with an estimated diameter of 1.4 nm, shows weak cation selectivity and no voltage dependence. The long-lasting open states of the channel indicate its functional role as a protein forming a general diffusion pore in the membrane.Conclusions/SignificancePxmp2 is the first peroxisomal channel identified, and its existence leads to prediction that the mammalian peroxisomal membrane is permeable to small solutes while transfer of “bulky” metabolites, e.g., cofactors (NAD/H, NADP/H, and CoA) and ATP, requires specific transporters.

Higher Order Statistics and Independent Component Analysis for Spectral Characterization of Acoustic Emission Signals in Steel Pipes

Higher order statistics (HOS) are used to characterize acoustic emission events in ring-type samples from steel pipes for the oil industry. Cumulants are used twofold. First, diagonal bispectrum allows the separation of the primary (original) deformation from the reflections produced mainly in the suppressed chord. These longitudinal reflections can hardly be extracted via second-order methods, e.g., wavelet packets and power spectra, because they are partially masked by both Gaussian and non-Gaussian noise. Second, a cumulant-based independent component analysis may be used before the bispectrum, as a preprocessing complement, in the case of multiple-source and multiple-channel recordings. This algorithm suppresses the mutual influence of the sources and sensors. Sample registers were acquired by wide-frequency-range transducers (100-800 kHz) and digitalized by a 2.5-MHz, 12-bit analog-to-digital converter.

Sensor noise suppression

We present a method to remove the effects of sensor-specific noise in multiple-channel recordings such as magnetoencephalography (MEG) or electroencephalography (EEG). The method assumes that every source of interest is picked up by more than one sensor, as is the case with systems with spatially dense sensors. To reduce noise, each sensor signal is projected on the subspace spanned by its neighbors and replaced by its projection. In this process, components specific to the sensor (typically wide-band noise and/or ‘glitches’) are eliminated, while sources of interest are retained. Evaluation with real and simulated MEG signals shows that the method removes sensor-specific noise effectively, without removing or distorting signals of interest. It complements existing noise-reduction methods that target environmental or physiological noise.

Blind source separation of peripheral nerve recordings

Prosthetic devices can be controlled using signals recorded in parts of the body where sensation and/or voluntary movement have been retained. Although neural prosthetic applications have used single-channel recordings, multiple-channel recordings could provide a significant increase in useable control signals. Multiple control signals can be acquired from recordings of a single implant by using a multi-contact electrode placed over a multi-fasciculated peripheral nerve. These recordings can be separated to recover the individual fascicular signals. Blind source separation (BSS) algorithms have been developed to extract independent source signals from recordings of their mixtures. The hypothesis that BSS algorithms can recover individual fascicular signals from nerve cuff recordings at physiological signal-to-noise ratio (SNR ∼ 3–10 dB) was investigated in this study using a finite-element model (FEM) of a beagle hypoglossal nerve with a flattening interface nerve electrode (FINE). Known statistical properties of fascicular signals were used to generate a set of four sources from which the neural signals recorded at the surface of the nerve with a multi-contact FINE were simulated. Independent component analysis (ICA) was then implemented for BSS of the simulated recordings. A novel post-ICA processing algorithm was developed to solve ICA's inherent permutation ambiguities. The similarity between the estimated and original fascicular signals was quantified by calculating their correlation coefficients. The mean values of the correlation coefficients calculated were higher than 0.95 (n = 50). The effects of the geometric layout of the FINE electrode and noise on the separation algorithm were also investigated. The results show that four distinct overlapping fascicular source signals can be simultaneously recovered from neural recordings obtained using a FINE with five or more contacts at SNR levels higher than 8 dB making them available for use as control signals.

Neuronal Dysfunction and Schizophrenia Symptoms

Neuronal Dysfunction and Schizophrenia Symptoms

Neuronal Dysfunction and Schizophrenia Symptoms

Neuronal Dysfunction and Schizophrenia Symptoms

Decrease in Synaptic Transmission Can Reverse the Propagation Direction of Epileptiform Activity in Hippocampus In Vivo

Most types of epileptiform activity with synaptic transmission have been shown to propagate from the CA3 to CA1 region in hippocampus. However, nonsynaptic epileptiform activity induced in vitro is known to propagate slowly from the caudal end of CA1 toward CA2/CA3. Understanding the propagation modes of epileptiform activity, and their causality is important to revealing the underlying mechanisms of epilepsy and developing new treatments. In this paper, the effect of the synaptic transmission suppression on the propagation of epilepsy in vivo was investigated by using multiple-channel recording probes in CA1. Nonsynaptic epileptiform activity was induced by calcium chelator EGTA with varied concentrations of potassium. For comparison, disinhibition synaptic epileptiform activity was induced by picrotoxin (PTX) with or without partial suppression of excitatory synaptic transmission. The propagation velocity was calculated by measuring the time delay between two electrodes separated by a known distance. The results show that in vivo nonsynaptic epileptiform activity propagates with a direction and velocity comparable to those observed in in vitro preparations. The direction of propagation for nonsynaptic activity is reversed from the PTX-induced synaptic activity. A reversal in propagation direction and change in velocity were also observed dynamically during the process of synaptic transmission suppression. Even a partial suppression of synaptic transmission was sufficient to significantly change the propagation direction and velocity of epileptiform activity. These results suggest the possibility that the measurement of propagation can provide important information about the synaptic mechanism underlying epileptic activity.

Differential modulation of nociceptive neural responses in medial and lateral pain pathways by peripheral electrical stimulation: a multichannel recording study

It is well accepted that peripheral electrical stimulation (PES) can produce an analgesic effect in patients with acute and chronic pain. However, the neural basis underlying stimulation-induced analgesia remains unclear. In the present study, we examined the pain-related neural activity modified by peripheral stimulation in rats. The stimulation frequency of pulses applied to needle electrodes in the hindlimb was 2 Hz alternating with 100 Hz, with 0.6 ms pulse width for 2 Hz and 0.2 ms for 100 Hz. The intensity of the stimulation was increased stepwise from 1 to 3 mA with each 1-mA step lasting for 10 min. The nociceptive neural and behavioral responses were examined immediately after the termination of stimulation. Using a multiple-channel recording technique, we simultaneously recorded the activity of many single neurons located in the primary somatosensory and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), as well as the ventral posterior and medial dorsal thalamus in behaving rats. Our results showed that peripheral electrical stimulation significantly reduced the nociceptive responses in ventroposterior thalamus and somatosensory cortex, indicating an inhibition of nociceptive processing. In contrast, the analgesic stimulation produced a significant increase in mediodorsal thalamus while a less significant decrease in cingulate cortex, reflecting a complicated effect associated with combined antinociceptive activation and nociceptive suppression. These results support the idea that peripheral electrical stimulation can ultimately alter the pain perception by specifically inhibiting the nociceptive transmission in the sensory pathway while mobilizing the antinociceptive action in the affective pathway, thus to produce pain relief.