scholarly journals Dorsal striatum coding for the timely execution of action sequences

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cecilia Martinez ◽  
Camila Lidia Zold ◽  
Mario Gustavo Murer ◽  
Mariano Andrés Belluscio
Keyword(s):  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Waiting Time ◽  
Dorsal Striatum ◽  
Temporal Discounting ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Action Sequence ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Action Sequences ◽  
Adolescent Rats

The automatic initiation of actions can be highly functional. But occasionally these actions cannot be withheld and are released at inappropriate times, impulsively. Striatal activity has been shown to participate in the timing of action sequence initiation and it has been linked to impulsivity. Using a self-initiated task, we trained adult rats to withhold a rewarded action sequence until a waiting time interval has elapsed. By analyzing neuronal activity we show that the striatal response preceding the initiation of the learned sequence is strongly modulated by the time subjects wait before eliciting the sequence. Interestingly, the modulation is steeper in adolescent rats, which show a strong prevalence of impulsive responses compared to adults. We hypothesize this anticipatory striatal activity reflects the animals' subjective reward expectation, based on the elapsed waiting time, while its steeper waiting modulation in adolescence reflects age-related differences in temporal discounting, internal urgency states or explore-exploit balance.

Plastic Changes in Nociceptive Transmission of the Rat Spinal Cord With Advancing Age

2002 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 1086-1093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koichi Iwata ◽  
Tetsuo Fukuoka ◽  
Eji Kondo ◽  
Yoshiyuki Tsuboi ◽  
Akimasa Tashiro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dorsal Horn ◽  
Neuronal Activity ◽  
Spinal Dorsal Horn ◽  
Dynamic Range ◽  
High Threshold ◽  
Aged Rats ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Nociceptive Neurons ◽  
Spinal Dorsal ◽  
Age Related

To understand characteristics of the pain system in the elderly, we investigated the electrophysiological properties of nociceptive neurons in the lumbar spinal dorsal horn of aged (29–34-mo old) and adult (7–13-mo old) rats. The responses of nociceptive neurons to noxious thermal stimulation, as well as the spontaneous firing rate, were significantly higher in the aged as compared with adult rats. Furthermore, the size of the high-threshold receptive field area of wide dynamic range neurons was larger ( P < 0.01) and that of the low-threshold area was smaller ( P< 0.05) in aged rats than in adult rats. The increased nociceptive neuronal activity in the aged rats correlated with the finding that the paw withdrawal latency was significantly shorter in the aged rats than those of the adult rats following heat stimulation of the hind paw ( P < 0.05). Reversible local anesthetic block of descending pathways resulted in a dramatic increase in neuronal activity in adult rats but had little effect in aged rats. There was also a significant loss of serotoninergic and noradrenergic fibers in the spinal dorsal horn of the aged rats. These results demonstrate an age-related plasticity in spinal nociceptive processing that is related to impairment of descending modulatory pathways.

scholarly journals Chemogenetic inhibition in the dorsal striatum reveals regional specificity of direct and indirect pathway control of action sequencing

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Garr ◽  
Andrew R. Delamater
Keyword(s):  
Basal Ganglia ◽  
Instrumental Learning ◽  
Dorsal Striatum ◽  
Training Sequence ◽  
Indirect Pathway ◽  
Action Sequence ◽  
Action Sequences ◽  
Action Sequencing ◽  
Sequence Performance ◽  
Outcome Devaluation

AbstractAnimals engage in intricate action sequences that are constructed during instrumental learning. There is broad consensus that the basal ganglia play a crucial role in the formation and fluid performance of action sequences. To investigate the role of the basal ganglia direct and indirect pathways in action sequencing, we virally expressed Cre-dependent Gi-DREADDs in either the dorsomedial (DMS) or dorsolateral (DLS) striatum during and/or after action sequence learning in D1 and D2 Cre rats. Action sequence performance in D1 Cre rats was slowed down early in training when DREADDs were activated in the DMS, but sped up when activated in the DLS. Acquisition of the reinforced sequence was hindered when DREADDs were activated in the DLS of D2 Cre rats. Outcome devaluation tests conducted after training revealed that the goal-directed control of action sequence rates was immune to chemogenetic inhibition—rats suppressed the rate of sequence performance when rewards were devalued. Sequence initiation latencies were generally sensitive to outcome devaluation, except in the case where DREADD activation was removed in D2 Cre rats that previously experienced DREADD activation in the DMS during training. Sequence completion latencies were generally not sensitive to outcome devaluation, except in the case where D1 Cre rats experienced DREADD activation in the DMS during training and test. Collectively, these results suggest that the indirect pathway originating from the DLS is part of a circuit involved in the effective reinforcement of action sequences, while the direct and indirect pathways originating from the DMS contribute to the goal-directed control of sequence completion and initiation, respectively.

scholarly journals The role of action effects in motor sequence planning and execution: exploring the influence of temporal and spatial effect anticipation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel M. Brown ◽  
Erik Friedgen ◽  
Iring Koch
Keyword(s):  
Action Planning ◽  
Spatial Effects ◽  
Motor Sequence ◽  
Action Sequence ◽  
Sequential Action ◽  
Spatial Features ◽  
Temporal Features ◽  
Action Sequences ◽  
Temporal And Spatial ◽  
Anticipation Effect

AbstractActions we perform every day generate perceivable outcomes with both spatial and temporal features. According to the ideomotor principle, we plan our actions by anticipating the outcomes, but this principle does not directly address how sequential movements are influenced by different outcomes. We examined how sequential action planning is influenced by the anticipation of temporal and spatial features of action outcomes. We further explored the influence of action sequence switching. Participants performed cued sequences of button presses that generated visual effects which were either spatially compatible or incompatible with the sequences, and the spatial effects appeared after a short or long delay. The sequence cues switched or repeated across trials, and the predictability of action sequence switches was varied across groups. The results showed a delay-anticipation effect for sequential action, whereby a shorter anticipated delay between action sequences and their outcomes speeded initiation and execution of the cued action sequences. Delay anticipation was increased by predictable action switching, but it was not strongly modified by the spatial compatibility of the action outcomes. The results extend previous demonstrations of delay anticipation to the context of sequential action. The temporal delay between actions and their outcomes appears to be retrieved for sequential planning and influences both the initiation and the execution of actions.

Age-Related Differences in Elevated Plus Maze Behavior between Adolescent and Adult Rats

2004 ◽  
Vol 1021 (1) ◽  
pp. 427-430 ◽  
Author(s):  
TAMARA L. DOREMUS ◽  
ELENA I. VARLINSKAYA ◽  
LINDA PATIA SPEAR
Keyword(s):  
Elevated Plus Maze ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Plus Maze

In vivo acute testicular testosterone response to injection of luteinizing hormone in the rat fetus

1993 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 268-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
René Habert
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Concentration ◽  
Luteinizing Hormone ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Fetal Life ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Rat Fetus ◽  
Age Related

The acute in vivo testosterone response to LH stimulation and its change during late fetal life were determined in the rat. In 18.5-day-old fetuses, testicular testosterone content was increased in a dose-and time-dependent manner after fetal subcutaneous LH injection. The maximum response was small: the testicular content and plasma concentration were increased by 200% and 2 50% over basal values respectively, while they were increased 1100% and 1200% in adult rats. Similarly, comparable low responses were obtained after subcutaneously injecting the fetuses with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and after injecting LH into the vitelline vein. Between days 18.5 and 21.5 of fetal life, the testosterone levels in the testis and plasma of uninjected or PBS-injected fetuses decreased and were comparable in both groups. In maximally LH-stimulated fetuses, the testicular content did not change with age, and plasma concentration was lower on day 21.5 than on day 18.5. Since the number of Leydig cells increases 1.5 to 2-fold between days 18.5 and 21.5, these results show an age-related decrease in basal and maximally LH-stimulated in vivo testosterone secretions per Leydig cell during late fetal life.

Age-dependent activation of PKC isoforms by angiotensin II in the proximal nephron

2001 ◽  
Vol 281 (3) ◽  
pp. R861-R867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dianne M. Boesch ◽  
Jeffrey L. Garvin
Keyword(s):  
Specific Binding ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Proximal Tubules ◽  
Ang Ii ◽  
Fluid Absorption ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Young Rats ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Pkc Isoforms ◽  
Pkc Β

ANG II increases fluid absorption in proximal tubules from young rats more than those from adult rats. ANG II increases fluid absorption in the proximal nephron, in part, via activation of protein kinase C (PKC). However, it is unclear how age-related changes in ANG II-induced stimulation of the PKC cascade differ as an animal matures. We hypothesized that the response of the proximal nephron to ANG II decreases as rats mature due to a reduction in the amount and activation of PKC rather than a decrease in the number or affinity of ANG II receptors. Because PKC translocates from the cytosol to the membrane when activated, we first measured PKC activity in the soluble and particulate fractions of proximal tubule homogenates exposed to vehicle or 10−10 M ANG II from young (26 ± 1 days old) and adult rats (54 ± 1 days old). ANG II increased PKC activity to the same extent in homogenates from young rats (from 0.119 ± 0.017 to 0.146 ± 0.015 U/mg protein) ( P < 0.01) and adult rats (from 0.123 ± 0.020 to 0.156 ± 0.023 U/mg protein) ( P < 0.01). Total PKC activity did not differ between groups (0.166 ± 0.018 vs. 0.181 ± 0.023). We next investigated whether activation of the α-, β-, and γ-PKC isoforms differed by Western blot. In homogenates from young rats, ANG II significantly increased activated PKC-α from 40.2 ± 6.5 to 60.2 ± 9.5 arbitrary units (AU) ( P < 0.01) but had no effect in adult rats (46.1 ± 5.1 vs. 48.5 ± 8.2 AU). Similarly, ANG II increased activated PKC-γ in proximal tubules from young rats from 47.9 ± 13.2 to 65.6 ± 16.7 AU ( P < 0.01) but caused no change in adult rats. Activated PKC-β, however, increased significantly in homogenates from both age groups. Specifically, activated PKC-β increased from 8.6 ± 1.4 to 12.2 ± 2.1 AU ( P < 0.01) in homogenates from nine young rats and from 19.0 ± 5.5 to 25.1 ± 7.1 AU ( P < 0.01) in homogenates from 12 adult rats. ANG II did not alter the amount of soluble PKC-α, -β, and -γ significantly. The total amount of PKC-α and -γ did not differ between homogenates from young and adult rats, whereas the total amount of PKC-β was 59.7 ± 10.7 and 144.9 ± 41.8 AU taken from young and adult rats, respectively ( P < 0.05). Maximum specific binding and affinity of ANG II receptors were not significantly different between young and adult rats. We concluded that the primary PKC isoform activated by ANG II changes during maturation.

Role of oxidative stress in age-related reduction of NO-cGMP-mediated vascular relaxation in SHR

2003 ◽  
Vol 285 (3) ◽  
pp. R542-R551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason A. Payne ◽  
Jane F. Reckelhoff ◽  
Raouf A. Khalil
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Drinking Water ◽  
Arterial Pressure ◽  
Vascular Relaxation ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Vascular Contraction ◽  
Aging Rats ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Nitrite Nitrate ◽  
Late Stages

The incidence of hypertension increases during the late stages of aging; however, the vascular mechanisms involved are unclear. We investigated whether the late stages of aging are associated with impaired nitric oxide (NO)-mediated vascular relaxation and enhanced vascular contraction and whether oxidative stress plays a role in the age-related vascular changes. Aging (16 mo) male spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) nontreated or treated for 8 mo with the antioxidant tempol (1 mM in drinking water) or vitamin E (E; 5,000 IU/kg chow) and vitamin C (C; 100 mg · kg-1· day-1in drinking water) and adult (12 wk) male SHR were used. After the arterial pressure was measured, aortic strips were isolated from the rats for measurement of isometric contraction. The arterial pressure and phenylephrine (Phe)-induced vascular contraction were enhanced, and the ACh-induced vascular relaxation and nitrite/nitrate production were reduced in aging compared with adult rats. In aging rats, the arterial pressure was nontreated (188 ± 4), tempol-treated (161 ± 6), and E + C-treated (187 ± 1 mmHg). Phe (10-5M) caused an increase in active stress in nontreated aging rats (14.3 ± 1.0) that was significantly ( P < 0.05) reduced in tempol-treated (9.0 ± 0.7) and E + C-treated rats (9.8 ± 0.6 × 104N/m2). ACh produced a small relaxation of Phe contraction in nontreated aging rats that was enhanced ( P < 0.05) in tempol- and E + C-treated rats. l-NAME (10-4M), inhibitor of NO synthase, or ODQ (10-5M), inhibitor of cGMP production in smooth muscle, inhibited ACh relaxation and enhanced Phe contraction in tempol- and E + C-treated but not the nontreated aging rats. ACh-induced vascular nitrite/nitrate production was not different in nontreated, tempol- and E + C-treated aging rats. Relaxation of Phe contraction with sodium nitroprusside, an exogenous NO donor, was smaller in aging than adult rats but was not different between nontreated, tempol- and E + C-treated aging rats. Thus, during the late stages of aging in SHR rats, an age-related inhibition of a vascular relaxation pathway involving not only NO production by endothelial cells but also the bioavailability of NO and the smooth muscle response to NO is partially reversed during chronic treatment with the antioxidants tempol and vitamins E and C. The data suggest a role for oxidative stress in the reduction of vascular relaxation and thereby the promotion of vascular contraction and hypertension during the late stages of aging.

Pituitary-adrenal response to bacterial endotoxin in developing rats

1988 ◽  
Vol 255 (4) ◽  
pp. E525-E530 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Witek-Janusek
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Corticosterone ◽  
Neonatal Rat ◽  
Bacterial Endotoxin ◽  
Plasma Acth ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Corticosterone Response ◽  
Adrenal Response ◽  
Old Rats ◽  
Related Pattern

The neonatal rat is very sensitive to the lethal effects of bacterial endotoxin. Because of the adaptive importance of pituitary-adrenal secretions to stress, this study examined the ontogeny of the plasma corticosterone and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) responses to endotoxin. The lethal sensitivity of young rats to endotoxin ranged from 0.5 to 30 mg/kg (ip) in the 1- to 21-day-old rat. After endotoxin treatment, the 1- and 2-day-old rat showed marked elevations of corticosterone similar in magnitude to that seen in 21-day-old and adult rats; however, significantly depressed corticosterone increments were observed in the 5-, 10-, and 14-day-old rats. This age-related pattern of adrenocortical secretion was correlated with the developing rat's corticosterone response to exogenous ACTH. In contrast, endotoxin administered to 5-, 10-, and 14-day-old rats resulted in increments of plasma ACTH similar to those observed in the 21-day-old and adult rats. Although plasma ACTH levels increased by 84-127% in the 1- and 2-day-old rats, these increases were significantly less than those of rats at all other ages tested. Thus the newborn rat mounts an effective corticosterone response to endotoxin, loses this ability between ages 5-14 days, and regains this response at 21 days of age. Because the hyporesponsive ages exhibit a marked increase in ACTH secretion, the loss of the adrenocortical response to endotoxin appears to be a result of a depressed responsiveness of the adrenal cortex to ACTH.

scholarly journals Competition of glycerol with other oxidizable substrates in rat brain

1986 ◽  
Vol 237 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
M C McKenna ◽  
L I Bezold ◽  
S J Kimatian ◽  
J T Tildon
Keyword(s):  
Rat Brain ◽  
Glutamine Metabolism ◽  
Glycerol Oxidation ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Rat Pups ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Adult Rat Brain ◽  
14Co2 Production ◽  
Age Related Changes

The rate of conversion of [1,3-14C]glycerol into 14CO2 was measured in the presence and absence of unlabelled alternative substrates in whole homogenates from the brains of young (4-6 and 18-20 days old) and adult rats. Unlabelled glucose decreased 14CO2 production from [1,3-14C]glycerol by about 40% at all ages studied. Unlabelled 3-hydroxybutyrate significantly decreased the 14CO2 production from both low (0.2 mM) and high (2.0 mM) concentrations of glycerol in 4-6- and 18-20-day-old rat pups. However, the addition of 3-hydroxybutyrate had no effect on the rate of 14CO2 production from 2.0 mM-glycerol in adult rats, suggesting that the interaction of 3-hydroxybutyrate with glycerol in adult rat brain is complex and may be related to the biphasic kinetics previously reported for glycerol oxidation. Unlabelled glutamine decreased the production of 14CO2 by brain homogenates from 18-20-day-old and adult rats, but not in 4-6-day-old rat pups. In the converse situation, the addition of unlabelled glycerol to whole brain homogenates had little effect on the rate of 14CO2 production from [6-14C]glucose, 3-hydroxy[3-14C]butyrate and [U-14C]glutamine, although some significant differences were noted. Collectively these results suggest that glycerol and these other substrates may be metabolized in separate subcellular compartments in brain such that the products of glucose, 3-hydroxybutyrate and glutamine metabolism can dilute the oxidation of glycerol, but the converse cannot occur. The data also demonstrate that there are complex age-related changes in the interaction of glycerol with 3-hydroxybutyrate and glutamine. The fact that glycerol oxidation was only partially suppressed by the addition of 1-5 mM-glucose, -3-hydroxybutyrate or -glutamine could also suggest that glycerol may be selectively utilized as an energy substrate in some discrete brain region.

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