Experimental Brain Research

Crewther, S.; Crewther, D.; Cleland, B.

doi: 10.1007/BF00237012pmid: 4043269

221 60 60 1 1 S. G. Crewther D. P. Crewther B. G. Cleland School of Optometry University of New South Wales 2033 Kensington NSW Australia Department of Physiology University of Sydney 2006 NSW Australia National Vision Research Institute 386 Cardigan Street 3053 Carlton Victoria Australia Department of Physiology John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University 2600 Canberra ACT Australia Summary Experiments were carried out to determine the effects of different types of experimental strabismus on the acuities of retinal ganglion cells. Six kittens were raised from twenty-one days of age with an esotropia surgically induced by myectomy of the lateral rectus muscle and a large portion of the superior oblique muscle. The results are compared with those, previously reported, from five other cats also made esotropic, but by tenotomy of the lateral rectus. All animals tested behaviourally were amblyopic in the strabismic eye. For square wave gratings, the visual acuities were 1.0 to 2.5 cyc/deg through the strabismic eye compared with 6.0 to 7.5 cyc/deg through the non-deviating eye. The cut-off spatial frequencies were determined for 132 brisk sustained cells from five of the myectomized strabismic cats. There was a loss of approximately 20% in cut-off spatial frequency when compared with both normal and tenotomized cats. A correlate of the physiologically observed difference between the tenotomized cats and the myectomized cats was also found in the morphology of cells in the lateral geniculate nucleus. The tenotomized cats showed no evidence of cell shrinkage in laminae receiving a projection from the amblyopic eye whereas in the myectomized cats large differences were observed in cell cross-sectional areas between laminae receiving input from the amblyopic eye and those receiving input from the non-deviating eye. Together, these findings indicate that the presence of a neural deficit in the retina of strabismic cats is associated with the actual removal of extra-ocular muscle and probably has little to do with the optical quality of images arriving at the retina.

Storm, J.; Hvalby, Ø.

doi: 10.1007/BF00237013pmid: 2864279

221 60 60 1 1 J. Storm Ø. Hvalby Institute of Neurophysiology University of Oslo N-0162 Oslo 1 Norway Department of Neurobiology and Behavior State University of New York at Stony Brook 11794 Stony Brook NY USA Summary (1) In order to compare responses to dendritic vs. somatic depolarization, CA1 pyramidal cells in rat hippocampal slices were stimulated by iontophoresis of glutamate to sensitive spots in the dendrites, and by somatic current injection. (2) Low intensities of either stimulus elicited slow repetitive firing. Each action potential was preceded by a slow depolarizing prepotential (SPP), lasting 50–300 ms and was followed by fast (3–5 ms) and slow (more than 100 ms) afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs). The SPPs, and AHPs were indistinguishable for the two types of stimuli. (3) In response to strong depolarizations, most cells showed an initial burst of spikes, followed by a pause before the steady discharge. This pattern was elicited by both glutamate and current. (4) The input resistance usually increased 5–20% during subthreshold depolarizations by glutamate or current. In contrast, large doses of glutamate caused a slow decline in the resistance (up to 40%), which was larger than during comparable current-induced discharge, and the response was followed by a longer AHP. (5) It is concluded that both dendritic and somatic depolarization, induced by glutamate and current, respectively, can elicit sustained repetitive firing with SPPs, fast and slow AHPs and burst-pause pattern, thus, increasing the likelihood that these phenomena play a role during natural activation of CA1 cells.

Timney, B.; Elberger, A.; Vandewater, M.

doi: 10.1007/BF00237014pmid: 4043277

221 60 60 1 1 B. Timney A. J. Elberger M. L. Vandewater Department of Psychology University of Western Ontario N6A 5C2 London Ontario Canada Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy University of Texas, Health Sciences Center at Houston 77025 Houston TX USA Summary The role of the corpus callosum in the mediation of binocular depth perception was examined by measuring monocular and binocular depth discrimination thresholds in cats which had undergone section of the corpus callosum shortly after birth. Three kittens had the posterior callosum sectioned at the age of eleven days. A fourth kitten underwent a sham operation and one additional animal served intitially as an unoperated control. Monocular and binocular depth thresholds were measured for all kittens when they were between three and five months old. Although there was some individual variability, none of the callosum-sectioned kittens showed any deficits of binocular depth perception relative to normal animals. The initially unoperated kitten had its callosum sectioned at five months and was retested following surgery. Its performance did not change from preoperated levels. Finally, the three neonatal callosum-sectioned kittens underwent section of the optic chiasm when they were six months old, causing a complete breakdown in binocular depth discrimination. The results are interpreted to indicate that although the corpus callosum may be a sufficient pathway for the maintenance of stereopsis in cat, it is not necessary.

Sabel, B.; Dunbar, G.; Butler, W.; Stein, D.

doi: 10.1007/BF00237015pmid: 3930279

221 60 60 1 1 B. A. Sabel G. L. Dunbar W. M. Butler D. G. Stein Department of Psychology Clark University 01610 Worcester MA USA Department of Neurology University of Massachusetts Medical Center 01605 Worcester MA USA Department of Psychology and Brain Science E25-634 Massachusetts Institute of Technology 02139 Cambridge MA USA Summary The effects of monosialoganglioside (GM1) injections on neuronal reorganization and behavioral recovery were studied in rats with unilateral transections of the nigro-striatal pathway. In Experiment 1, animals were treated daily with injections of saline or GM1 for not more than 14 days. At 2 days after surgery, GM1-treated animals exhibited less amphetamine-induced rotational asymmetry than did saline treated counterparts. This difference was still apparent at day 12, but vanished at post-operative day 39. Apomorphine-induced rotational asymmetry was equal in both groups at day 15, but by day 42, asymmetries increased in saline controls while remaining unchanged in GM1-treated animals. Rats were killed at either post-operative days 3, 15, or 45 after having received injections of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) into the denervated caudate nucleus. The number of neurons labelled by retrograde HRP-transport were counted in the ipsilateral substantia nigra pars compacta (iSNc), ipsilateral ventral tegmental area (iVTA), frontal cortex, and in the contralateral substantia nigra pars compacta (cSNc). Anterograde transport was also examined in the ipsilateral substantia nigra pars reticulata (iSNr). A significant loss of retrograde labelling in iSNc and iVTA was observed for both groups at post-operative day 3. At day 15, however, GM1-treated animals showed more labelling in these structures as well as in the cSNc. At 45 days after surgery comparable labelling was seen in both lesion groups. The total area of anterograde HRP-labelling in the iSNr significantly increased over time, with no differences between treatment groups. In Experiment 2, rats given the same hemitransections as in Experiment 1, were treated with daily injections of saline or GM1 for 14 days, and then received unilateral injections of 6-hydroxydopamine into the iSNc and iVTA. Nine days later, brain tissue was stained for examination of anterograde degeneration. Significantly more degenerating axons and terminals were found in the caudate nucleus of GM1-treated rats than in salinetreated controls. We propose that the early reduction of behavioral deficits may be related to a ganglioside-induced reduction of secondary degeneration or edema. The effect of gangliosides on later behavioral recovery is to accelerate neuronal reorganization. This reorganization probably involves terminal proliferation of ascending, intact striatal afferents spared by the hemitransection.

Henschen, A.; Hoffer, B.; Olson, L.

doi: 10.1007/BF00237016pmid: 4043280

221 60 60 1 1 A. Henschen B. Hoffer L. Olson Department of Histology Karolinska Institutet Box 60400 S-10401 Stockholm Sweden Department of Pharmacology, Medical Center University of Colorado Denver CO USA Summary Fetal spinal cord tissue was grafted to the anterior chamber of the eye of adult recipients. Transverse segments from the cervical and high thoracic levels were divided in halves which were grafted directly or further divided into ventral horn and dorsal horn parts before grafting. Survival and intraocular growth was monitored through the cornea. Grafts from E14 to E16 grew to final sizes several times the initial size. The final size of E17 grafts was approximately similar to the initial size, while the final size of E18 and E19 grafts was considerably smaller than the size at grafting. All grafts were well vascularized from the host iris. Grafts from younger donors contained several neurons typical of spinal cord including alpha-motoneuron-type cells. Cells were found in clusters in gray matter areas surrounded by white matter. Extracellular recording revealed many spontaneously active cells. Several had high sustained discharge (10–25 Hz) and large amplitudes. Many cells could be excited by stimulation of the graft surface via activation of local afferents. It is concluded that the capacity of fetal spinal cord tissue to survive grafting to the eye chamber is inversely related to the donor age. Before E17, large grafts retaining several morphological and electrophysiological characteristics of spinal cord are obtained. The intraocular spinal cord graft provides a useful model for studies of spinal cord development and, using co-grafting techniques, a model for spinal cord regeneration and functional connectivity.

Vertes, R.; Wu, P.

doi: 10.1007/BF00237017pmid: 4043281

221 60 60 1 1 R. P. Vertes P. H. Wu Division of Basic Medical Sciences Mercer University, School of Medicine 31207 Macon GA USA Department of Physiology Wayne State University, School of Medicine 48201 Detroit MI USA Clinical Pharmacology Addiction Research Foundation M5S 2S1 Toronto Ontario Canada Summary Adenosine and its analogs have previously been shown to exert a depressant effect on several measures of hippocampal excitability in the hippocampal slice and intact anesthetized preparation. In the present report, we examined the effects of intraventricular injections of adenosine analogs on hippocampal slow-wave activity in the freely moving rat. Each of three adenosine analogs— 5′-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) and N 6 -(phenylisopropyl) adenosine (L- and D-PIA) — were found to strongly suppress hippocampal electroencephalographic (EEG) activity. For instance, low doses of NECA (0.5 μg) produced an 80–90% decrease in the amplitude of the hippocampal EEG. NECA was approximately 20-fold more potent than L-PIA, and L-PIA was twice the potency of D-PIA. In separate experiments in the anesthetized rat, NECA and L-PIA were found to block completely the activation of the hippocampal theta rhythm elicited with brainstem stimulation. The effects of adenosine analogs on both the hippocampal EEG and theta rhythm were very effectively reversed with methylxanthine, 8-para-sulphophenyl-theophylline (8-PSPT). The present findings demonstrate that adenosine analogs exert a powerful depressant effect on the hippocampal EEG in the natural unanesthetized state, and suggest that changes in the levels of endogenous adenosine may play a significant role in modulating the normal activity and function of the hippocampus.

Kita, H.; Kita, T.; Kitai, S.

doi: 10.1007/BF00237018pmid: 2995109

221 60 60 1 1 H. Kita T. Kita S. T. Kitai Division of Neuroscience, Department of Anatomy University of Tennessee, Center for the Health Sciences 875 Monroe Avenue 38163 Memphis TN USA Summary The active membrane properties of rat neostriatal neurons have been studied in an in vitro slice preparation. All the neurons examined had resting membrane potentials of more than 50 mV and generated action potentials with amplitudes exceeding 70 mV. The morphological characteristics of the neurons identified by intracellular labeling with HRP indicated that they were medium spiny neurons. 1. Depolarizing current injection through the recording microelectrode generated slow depolarizing potentials and repetitive action potentials with frequencies ranging from less than 10 Hz to over 300 Hz. Adaptation of action potentials was observed when long duration depolarizing current was injected. 2. Depolarizing current injections revealed that the membrane of the striatal neuron had an anomalous rectification when the membrane potential was depolarized to the resting potential. A possible bases for the anomalous rectification might involve inactivation of K-conductance and slow inward Ca- and/or Na-currents. 3. Local electrical stimulation evoked depolarizing postsynaptic potentials (DPSPs) followed by long-lasting small depolarizations. In a double stimulation test, a potentiation of the test DPSP was observed at interstimulus time interval of up to 80 ms. Post-tetanic potentiation of DPSPs was also seen in these neurons. 4. Tests utilizing depolarizing current injection, intracellular Cl − injection, and Cl-conductance blocking drugs indicated that the DPSPs were composed of EPSPs and overlapping IPSPs. 5. The nature of the longlasting small depolarization succeeding the DPSPs could not be conclusively determined. However, available data suggest that the slow inward Cacurrent may be responsible for this response. 6. In some neurons, antidromic responses were observed following local stimulation. Spike invasion into the somatic region was blocked by an injection of hyperpolarizing current to the neuron or by synaptic inputs evoked by conditioning local stimulation. These findings may explain the difficulties encountered by previous investigators in obtaining antidromic responses from neostriatal neurons in in vivo preparation.

Kita, H.; Kita, T.; Kitai, S.

doi: 10.1007/BF00237019pmid: 4043282

221 60 60 1 1 H. Kita T. Kita S. T. Kitai Division of Neuroscience, Department of Anatomy University of Tennessee, Center for the Health Sciences 875 Monroe Avenue 38163 Memphis TN USA Summary 1. Regenerative potentials in rat neostriatal neurons were studied using the in vitro slice preparation. Some of the recorded neurons were intracellularly labeled with HRP. All had the morphological characteristics of the medium spiny neuron. 2. Application of TTX (10 −5 g/ml) to the superfusing medium abolished fast action potentials generated by intracellularly injected depolarizing current. Application of TEA prolonged the spike duration by decreasing its repolarizing rate without affecting rising phase. After suppression of K-conductance by TEA, depolarizing current elicited both fast and slow all or none action potentials. 3. Combined treatment with TTX and TEA revealed two types of depolarizing potentials, a slowly rising graded depolarizing potential and slow action potential. Substitution of Ca ++ with Mg ++ in the medium diminished the amplitude of these potentials. They were also blocked by application of Co ++ into the superfusion medium. The duration of slow action potentials were increased (1) with increase in the intensity of current pulse, (2) with decrease in the resting membrane potential, and (3) with increase in the concentration of TEA in the bathing medium. 4. In the normal Ringer solution, local stimulation elicited depolarizing postsynaptic responses (DPSPs). Large DPSPs evoked by strong local stimulation triggered one or two fast action potentials. In some neurons, large DPSPs could trigger both fast and slow action potentials. They were consistently triggered after application of TEA (1 mM) to the medium. 5. When a relatively high concentration of TEA (4 mM) was applied to the Ringer solution, locally evoked DPSPs could trigger only slow action potentials. In double stimulation experiments, a large reduction in the amplitude and the duration of test DPSPs was observed up to about 150 ms interstimulus interval.

Smith, A.; Hammond, P.

doi: 10.1007/BF00237020pmid: 4043283

221 60 60 1 1 A. T. Smith P. Hammond Department of Psychology University College Cardiff CF1 1XL Cardiff Wales UK Department of Communication and Neuroscience University of Keele ST5 5BG Keele Staffordshire UK Summary Interactions between two different visual patterns, a coarse grating and a fine texture pattern, were investigated in the context of velocity aftereffects in human subjects. The perceived velocity shift, in which the perceived velocity of a moving test pattern is reduced following exposure to a similarly moving adaptation pattern, is apparent when the adaptation and test patterns are of the same or different types. The aftereffect transfers interocularly in both cases. The directional tuning of the aftereffect is broad, and has a different profile for texture adaptation than for bar adaptation. When adaptation is to a composite stimulus comprising independently moving bars and texture, the aftereffect varies according to the nature of the test pattern. The results are discussed with reference to interactions between the responses of neurones in feline striate cortex to the two types of pattern.

Linden, R.; Pinto, L.

doi: 10.1007/BF00237021pmid: 4043284

221 60 60 1 1 R. Linden L. H. Pinto Instituto de Biofisica da UFRJ Rio de Janeiro Brazil Department of Biological Sciences Purdue University West Lafayette IN USA Departamento de Neurobiologia Instituto de Biofisica da UFRJ, Centro de Ciencias da Saude — Bloco G, Cidade Universitária 21941 Rio de Janeiro Brazil Summary The time course of natural cell death was studied postnatally in the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers of the retina in the developing mouse. We examined congenic wild-type, albino and pearl mutants from birth to 12 days of age. In both wild-type and albino mice, natural cell death proceeded with an increasing rate from birth to a peak 6 days after birth, and with a decreasing rate there-after. In contrast, cell death in pearl mutants proceeded with essentially a decreasing rate postnatally. The populations of neurones and glial cells in the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers of the retina were also determined in adult mice. It was shown that pearl mutants had a slightly smaller number of cells in those layers than both wildtype and albino mice, and that the difference was probably due entirely to the numbers of neurones. We conclude that the pearl mutation in the mouse affects the timing of developmental cell death, but the effect is not directly related to the amount of pigment in the eye.