Electroacupuncture Reduces Stress-Induced Expression of c-Fos in the Brain of the Rat

2004 ◽  
Vol 32 (05) ◽  
pp. 795-806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hye-Jung Lee ◽  
Bombi Lee ◽  
Sun-Hye Choi ◽  
Dae-Hyun Hahm ◽  
Mi-Rye Kim ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Immobilization Stress ◽  
Plasma Catecholamines ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Lateral Septum ◽  
Hypothalamic Nucleus ◽  
Amygdaloid Nucleus ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Fos Expression ◽  
Medial Amygdaloid Nucleus ◽  
The Brain

We have previously shown that electroacupuncture (EA) at Shaohai and Neiguan ( HT 3- PC 6) points significantly attenuated stress-induced peripheral responses, including increases in blood pressure, heart rate and plasma catecholamines. In this study, we examined the central effect of EA on the expression of c-fos, one of the immediate-early genes in the brain of rats subjected to immobilization stress. Immobilization stress (180 minutes) preferentially produced a significant increase in Fos-like immunoreactivity (FLI) in stress-relevant regions including the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), arcuate nucleus (ARN), supraoptic nucleus (SON), suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), medial amygdaloid nucleus (AMe), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BST), hippocampus, lateral septum (LS), nucleus accumbens, and the locus coeruleus (LC). EA (3 Hz, 0.2 ms rectangular pulses, 20 mA) at HT 3- PC 6 on the heart and pericardium channels for 30 minutes during stress, significantly attenuated stress-induced FLI in the parvocellular PVN, SON, SCN, AMe, LS and the LC. However, EA stimulations at HT 3- PC 6 had no effect on FLI in the magnocelluar PVN, ARN, BST or the hippocampus. EA stimulation at HT 3- PC 6 had a greater inhibitory effect on stress-induced FLI than that at TE 5- LI 11, the triple energizer and large intestine meridian, or non-acupoints. These results demonstrated that EA attenuated stress-induced c-fos expression in brain areas. These results suggest that decreased c-fos expression in hypothalamic and LC neurons, among stress-related areas, may reflect the integrative action of acupuncture in stress response.

Obesity-inducing amygdala lesions: examination of anterograde degeneration and retrograde transport

2003 ◽  
Vol 284 (4) ◽  
pp. R965-R982 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce M. King ◽  
Jack T. Cook ◽  
Kirk N. Rossiter ◽  
Bethany L. Rollins
Keyword(s):  
Weight Gain ◽  
Grid Point ◽  
Retrograde Transport ◽  
Ventromedial Hypothalamus ◽  
Lateral Septum ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Amygdaloid Nucleus ◽  
Stria Terminalis ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Medial Amygdaloid Nucleus

Small lesions centered in the posterodorsal region of the medial amygdala resulted in excessive weight gains in female rats. Unilateral lesions were nearly as effective as bilateral lesions in the first 48 h after surgery (+21 to +32 g). Assessment of lesion damage was done by both qualitative evaluation and by a quantitative grid-point counting method. The critical sites for weight gain were the intra-amygdaloid bed nucleus of the stria terminalis and the posterodorsal medial amygdaloid nucleus. Incidental damage to the overlying globus pallidus was negatively related to weight gain. The cupric silver method for demonstrating axonal degeneration was applied to brains with obesity-inducing lesions. A dense pattern of degenerating terminals was found in the lateral septum, amygdala, ventral striatum, and ventromedial hypothalamus. Degeneration in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus was scarce or absent. Small retrograde tracer injections made in either the intra-amygdaloid bed nucleus of the stria terminalis or in the posterodorsal medial amygdaloid nucleus labeled cells in the amygdala, lateral septum, and hypothalamus, reciprocating the anterograde projections from the amygdala to these areas. The data suggest that subdivisions of the posterodorsal amygdala participate in the regulation of feeding in a manner that is similar to the better-known role of this part of the brain in mediating reproductive behavior. Although topographical differences may exist within the amygdaloid and hypothalamic subdivisions regulating these two sexually dimorphic behaviors, the relays engaged by feeding-related connections and those related to reproduction are remarkably parallel.

Inhibition of neurons in the rat medial amygdaloid nucleus in vitro by somatostatin

1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 670-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun-Fei Lu ◽  
Yykio Hattori ◽  
Akiyoshi Moriwaki ◽  
Yasushi Hayashi ◽  
Yasuo Hori
Keyword(s):  
Brain Slice ◽  
Direct Action ◽  
Inhibitory Effect ◽  
Inhibitory Response ◽  
Threshold Concentration ◽  
Neuron Activity ◽  
Amygdaloid Nucleus ◽  
Medial Amygdala ◽  
Medial Amygdaloid Nucleus

Effects of somatostatin (SRIF) on neurons in the medial amygdaloid nucleus were investigated in rat brain slice preparations, using extracellular recordings. Following bath application of SRIF at 10−7–10−6 M, 63 of 81 (78%) medial amygdala neurons showed an inhibitory response. The inhibitory effect of SRIF was dose dependent, and the threshold concentration was approximately 10−9 M. The inhibitory response to SRIF persisted during synaptic blockade in two-thirds of neurons tested. The inhibitory effect of SRIF was reduced by picrotoxin, a GABAA receptor antagonist, in one-third of neurons. These results suggest that SRIF exerts an inhibitory effect on medial amygdala neurons through either a direct action on SRIF receptors or a GABAergic synaptic involvement.Key words: somatostatin, amygdala, brain slice, neuron activity, picrotoxin.

scholarly journals Dysfunctions of the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus induce hypersomnia in mice

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Rui Chen ◽  
Yu-Heng Zhong ◽  
Shan Jiang ◽  
Wei Xu ◽  
Lei Xiao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Glutamate Transporter ◽  
Neural Circuitry ◽  
Lateral Septum ◽  
Hypothalamic Nucleus ◽  
Active Period ◽  
Vesicular Glutamate Transporter ◽  
Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings ◽  
Inactive Period ◽  
Fos Expression

Hypersomnolence disorder (HD) is characterized by excessive sleep, which is a common sequela following stroke, infection or tumorigenesis. HD is traditionally thought to be associated with lesions of wake-promoting nuclei. However, lesions of a single wake-promoting nucleus, or even two simultaneously, did not exert serious HD. Therefore, the specific nucleus and neural circuitry for HD remain unknown. Here, we observed that the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVH) exhibited higher c-fos expression during the active period (23:00) than during the inactive period (11:00) in mice. Therefore, we speculated that the PVH, in which most neurons are glutamatergic, may represent one of the key arousal-controlling centers. By using vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (vglut2Cre) mice together with fiber photometry, multichannel electrophysiological recordings, and genetic approaches, we found that PVHvglut2 neurons were most active during wakefulness. Chemogenetic activation of PVHvglut2 neurons induced wakefulness for 9 h, and photostimulation of PVHvglut2→parabrachial complex/ventral lateral septum circuits immediately drove transitions from sleep to wakefulness. Moreover, lesioning or chemogenetic inhibition of PVHvglut2 neurons dramatically decreased wakefulness. These results indicate that the PVH is critical for arousal promotion and maintenance.

scholarly journals Dynamic Changes in Oxytocin Receptor Expression and Activation at Parturition in the Rat Brain

Endocrinology ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 148 (10) ◽  
pp. 5095-5104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone L. Meddle ◽  
Valerie R. Bishop ◽  
Effimia Gkoumassi ◽  
Fred W. van Leeuwen ◽  
Alison J. Douglas
Keyword(s):  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Paraventricular Nucleus ◽  
Maternal Behavior ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Oxytocin Receptor ◽  
Lateral Septum ◽  
Receptor Expression ◽  
Olfactory Bulbs ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
The Brain

Oxytocin plays a pivotal role in rat parturition, acting within the brain to facilitate its own release in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and paraventricular nucleus, and to stimulate maternal behavior. We investigated oxytocin receptor (OTR) expression and activation perinatally. Using a 35S-labeled riboprobe complementary to OTR mRNA, OTR expression was quantified in proestrus virgin, 21- and 22-day pregnant, parturient (90 min. from pup 1 birth), and postpartum (4–12 h from parturition) rats. Peak OTR mRNA expression was observed at parturition in the SON, brainstem regions, medial preoptic area (mPOA), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BnST), and olfactory bulbs, but there was no change in the paraventricular nucleus and lateral septum. OTR mRNA expression was increased on the day of expected parturition in the SON and brainstem, suggesting that oxytocin controls the pathway mediating input from uterine signals. Likewise, OTR mRNA expression was increased in the mPOA and BnST during labor/birth. In the olfactory bulbs and medial amygdala, parturition induced increased OTR mRNA expression compared with pre-parturition, reflecting their immediate response to new stimuli at birth. Postpartum OTR expression in all brain regions returned to levels observed in virgin rats. Parturition significantly increased the number of double-immunolabeled cells for Fos and OTR within the SON, brainstem, BnST, and mPOA regions compared with virgin rats. Thus, there are dynamic region-dependent changes in OTR-expressing cells at parturition. This altered OTR distribution pattern in the brain perinatally reflects the crucial role oxytocin plays in orchestrating both birth and maternal behavior.

Effect of Inhibition of the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala and Drug Experience on the Regions Underlying Footshock-Induced Reinstatement of Morphine Seeking

2008 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 992-1000 ◽  
Author(s):  
DY Ma ◽  
MY Xu ◽  
HC Yang ◽  
LZ Yang
Keyword(s):  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Place Preference ◽  
Central Nucleus ◽  
Stria Terminalis ◽  
Drug Experience ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Fos Expression ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Brain

This study assessed the effect of inhibition of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and drug experience on brain regions underlying footshock-induced reinstatement of morphine-seeking behaviour in rats. The difference in time spent in two chambers of a place-preference apparatus was used to measure morphine-conditioned place preference. Fos was measured as a marker of neuronal activation in the ventral bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNSTv) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Footshock was found to enhance Fos expression in the BNSTv regardless of drug experience. In the VTA, morphine and footshock had an interactive effect on the increase in Fos expression. Inhibition of the CeA decreased Fos expression in the BNSTv regardless of drug experience, whereas in the VTA this effect only occurred in morphine-treated rats. These results suggest that drug experience has no differential effect on the BNSTv however morphine produces footshock sensitization in the VTA. CeA inhibition modulates the footshock-induced activity of these regions of the brain and attenuates reinstatement of drug seeking behaviour.

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