scholarly journals Dendritic Projections and Dye-Coupling in Dopaminergic Neurons of the Substantia Nigra Examined in Horizontal Brain Slices From Young Rats

2003 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 2531-2535 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Y. Lin ◽  
Michiel van Wyk ◽  
Tharushini K. Bowala ◽  
Min-Yau Teo ◽  
Janusz Lipski
Keyword(s):  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Lucifer Yellow ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Positive Control ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Dye Coupling ◽  
Whole Cell ◽  
Connexin 36

We examined the rostro-caudal dendritic spread of striatally projecting dopaminergic neurons of the Substantia Nigra pars compacta (SNc) and investigated the presence of dye-coupling after labeling these cells with a mixture of lucifer yellow (LY) and neurobiotin (NB) or with LY alone. Whole cell recordings were made from horizontal brain slices (400 μm) obtained from P5-P20 rats. SNc neurons retrogradely labeled with Fluoro-Gold and located in the region containing tyrosine hydroxylase-immunoreactive cells displayed Ih current and other properties characteristic of SNc neurons. To prevent extracellular leakage, dyes were introduced into patch pipettes after the establishment of whole cell configuration, and cells were filled under visual control. In contrast to previous studies conducted in coronal sections that identified dendritic projections of SNc neurons mainly in the medio-lateral and ventral directions, almost all neurons labeled in our study (53/54) additionally displayed a large rostro-caudal dendritic span (649 ± 219 μm). Dye-coupling between SNc neurons was not observed under basal conditions, in the presence of gap junction “openers” (forskolin, trimethylamine), or after neurons were filled with LY using sharp intracellular microelectrodes. As a “positive control,” dye-coupling was demonstrated in four hippocampal dentate gyrus neurons that were filled using the same patch pipette technique. In addition, none of the tested SNc cells ( n = 12) showed expression of connexin 36 (the “neuronal” connexin) when tested with single-cell RT-PCR. In conclusion, this study revealed extensive rostro-caudal dendritic projections of SNc neurons. Under our in vitro conditions, no evidence was found for dye-coupling among these neurons.

Muscarine Reduces Calcium-Dependent Electrical Activity in Substantia Nigra Dopaminergic Neurons

2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 2966-2972 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reese S. Scroggs ◽  
Carla G. Cardenas ◽  
Joseph A. Whittaker ◽  
Stephen T. Kitai
Keyword(s):  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Electrical Activity ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Oscillatory Potentials ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Pontine Nucleus ◽  
Calcium Dependent ◽  
The Brain

The effect of muscarine on Ca2+ dependent electrical activity was studied in dopamine (DA) neurons located in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in brain slices from young rats, using sharp electrodes. In most DA neurons tested, muscarine (50 μM) reduced the amplitude of spontaneous oscillatory potentials and evoked Ca2+-dependent potentials recorded in the presence of TTX. Muscarine also reduced the amplitude of the slow afterhyperpolarization (sAHP) following action potentials in most DA neurons. These data suggest that muscarine reduces Ca2+ entry in SNc DA neurons. The reduction of the amplitude of the sAHP by muscarine in DA neurons may facilitate bursting initiated by glutamatergic input by increasing the frequency at which DA neurons can fire. The reduction of the sAHP via activation of muscarinic receptors in vivo may provide a mechanism whereby cholinergic inputs to DA neurons from the tegmental peduncular pontine nucleus could modulate dopamine release at dopaminergic targets in the brain.

Subthalamic Stimulation-Induced Synaptic Responses in Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta Dopaminergic Neurons In Vitro

1999 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 925-933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuji Iribe ◽  
Kevin Moore ◽  
Kevin C. H. Pang ◽  
James M. Tepper
Keyword(s):  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Glutamate Receptor ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Reversal Potential ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Inhibitory Effects ◽  
Synaptic Potentials ◽  
Stimulation Of ◽  
Synaptic Responses

The subthalamic nucleus (STN) is one of the principal sources of excitatory glutamatergic input to dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra, yet stimulation of the STN produces both excitatory and inhibitory effects on nigral dopaminergic neurons recorded extracellularly in vivo. The present experiments were designed to determine the sources of the excitatory and inhibitory effects. Synaptic potentials were recorded intracellularly from substantia nigra pars compacta dopaminergic neurons in parasagittal slices in response to stimulation of the STN. Synaptic potentials were analyzed for onset latency, amplitude, duration, and reversal potential in the presence and absence of GABA and glutamate receptor antagonists. STN-evoked depolarizing synaptic responses in dopaminergic neurons reversed at approximately −31 mV, intermediate between the expected reversal potential for an excitatory and an inhibitory postsynaptic potential (EPSP and IPSP). Blockade of GABAA receptors with bicuculline caused a positive shift in the reversal potential to near 0 mV, suggesting that STN stimulation evoked a near simultaneous EPSP and IPSP. Both synaptic responses were blocked by application of the glutamate receptor antagonist, 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxalene-2,3-dione. The confounding influence of inhibitory fibers of passage from globus pallidus and/or striatum by STN stimulation was eliminated by unilaterally transecting striatonigral and pallidonigral fibers 3 days before recording. The reversal potential of STN-evoked synaptic responses in dopaminergic neurons in slices from transected animals was approximately −30 mV. Bath application of bicuculline shifted the reversal potential to ∼5 mV as it did in intact animals, suggesting that the source of the IPSP was within substantia nigra. These data indicate that electrical stimulation of the STN elicits a mixed EPSP-IPSP in nigral dopaminergic neurons due to the coactivation of an excitatory monosynaptic and an inhibitory polysynaptic connection between the STN and the dopaminergic neurons of substantia nigra pars compacta. The EPSP arises from a direct monosynaptic excitatory glutamatergic input from the STN. The IPSP arises polysynaptically, most likely through STN-evoked excitation of GABAergic neurons in substantia nigra pars reticulata, which produces feed-forward GABAA-mediated inhibition of dopaminergic neurons through inhibitory intranigral axon collaterals.

scholarly journals Characterization of substantia nigra neurogenesis in homeostasis and dopaminergic degeneration: beneficial effects of the microneurotrophin BNN-20

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodora Mourtzi ◽  
Dimitrios Dimitrakopoulos ◽  
Dimitrios Kakogiannis ◽  
Charalampos Salodimitris ◽  
Konstantinos Botsakis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cell ◽  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Stem Cell Niche ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Dopaminergic Cell ◽  
Cell Niche

Abstract Background Loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) underlines much of the pathology of Parkinson’s disease (PD), but the existence of an endogenous neurogenic system that could be targeted as a therapeutic strategy has been controversial. BNN-20 is a synthetic, BDNF-mimicking, microneurotrophin that we previously showed to exhibit a pleiotropic neuroprotective effect on the dopaminergic neurons of the SNpc in the “weaver” mouse model of PD. Here, we assessed its potential effects on neurogenesis. Methods We quantified total numbers of dopaminergic neurons in the SNpc of wild-type and “weaver” mice, with or without administration of BNN-20, and we employed BrdU labelling and intracerebroventricular injections of DiI to evaluate the existence of dopaminergic neurogenesis in the SNpc and to assess the origin of newborn dopaminergic neurons. The in vivo experiments were complemented by in vitro proliferation/differentiation assays of adult neural stem cells (NSCs) isolated from the substantia nigra and the subependymal zone (SEZ) stem cell niche to further characterize the effects of BNN-20. Results Our analysis revealed the existence of a low-rate turnover of dopaminergic neurons in the normal SNpc and showed, using three independent lines of experiments (stereologic cell counts, BrdU and DiI tracing), that the administration of BNN-20 leads to increased neurogenesis in the SNpc and to partial reversal of dopaminergic cell loss. The newly born dopaminergic neurons, that are partially originated from the SEZ, follow the typical nigral maturation pathway, expressing the transcription factor FoxA2. Importantly, the pro-cytogenic effects of BNN-20 were very strong in the SNpc, but were absent in other brain areas such as the cortex or the stem cell niche of the hippocampus. Moreover, although the in vitro assays showed that BNN-20 enhances the differentiation of NSCs towards glia and neurons, its in vivo administration stimulated only neurogenesis. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the existence of a neurogenic system in the SNpc that can be manipulated in order to regenerate the depleted dopaminergic cell population in the “weaver” PD mouse model. Microneurotrophin BNN-20 emerges as an excellent candidate for future PD cell replacement therapies, due to its area-specific, pro-neurogenic effects.

scholarly journals Netrin 1-Mediated Role of the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta and Ventral Tegmental Area in the Guidance of the Medial Habenular Axons

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verónica Company ◽  
Abraham Andreu-Cervera ◽  
M. Pilar Madrigal ◽  
Belén Andrés ◽  
Francisca Almagro-García ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Ventral Tegmental Area ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Functional Organization ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Fasciculus Retroflexus ◽  
Ventral Tegmental

The fasciculus retroflexus is an important fascicle that mediates reward-related behaviors and is associated with different psychiatric diseases. It is the main habenular efference and constitutes a link between forebrain regions, the midbrain, and the rostral hindbrain. The proper functional organization of habenular circuitry requires complex molecular programs to control the wiring of the habenula during development. However, the mechanisms guiding the habenular axons toward their targets remain mostly unknown. Here, we demonstrate the role of the mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neurons (substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area) as an intermediate target for the correct medial habenular axons navigation along the anteroposterior axis. These neuronal populations are distributed along the anteroposterior trajectory of these axons in the mesodiencephalic basal plate. Using in vitro and in vivo experiments, we determined that this navigation is the result of netrin 1 attraction generated by the mesodiencephalic dopaminergic neurons. This attraction is mediated by the receptor deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC), which is strongly expressed in the medial habenular axons. The increment in our knowledge on the fasciculus retroflexus trajectory guidance mechanisms opens the possibility of analyzing if its alteration in mental health patients could account for some of their symptoms.

Physiological Properties of Zebra Finch Ventral Tegmental Area and Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta Neurons

2006 ◽  
Vol 96 (5) ◽  
pp. 2295-2306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel D. Gale ◽  
David J. Perkel
Keyword(s):  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Ventral Tegmental Area ◽  
Zebra Finch ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Membrane Properties ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
D2 Dopamine Receptors ◽  
Physiological Properties ◽  
Ventral Tegmental

The neurotransmitter dopamine plays important roles in motor control, learning, and motivation in mammals and probably other animals as well. The strong dopaminergic projection to striatal regions and more moderate dopaminergic projections to other regions of the telencephalon predominantly arise from midbrain dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Homologous dopaminergic cell groups in songbirds project anatomically in a manner that may allow dopamine to influence song learning or song production. The electrophysiological properties of SNc and VTA neurons have not previously been studied in birds. Here we used whole cell recordings in brain slices in combination with tyrosine-hydroxylase immunolabeling as a marker of dopaminergic neurons to determine electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of dopaminergic and nondopaminergic neurons in the zebra finch SNc and VTA. Our results show that zebra finch dopaminergic neurons possess physiological properties very similar to those of mammalian dopaminergic neurons, including broad action potentials, calcium- and apamin-sensitive membrane-potential oscillations underlying pacemaker firing, powerful spike-frequency adaptation, and autoinhibition via D2 dopamine receptors. Moreover, the zebra finch SNc and VTA also contain nondopaminergic neurons with similarities (fast-firing, inhibition by the μ-opioid receptor agonist [d-Ala2, N-Me-Phe4, Gly-ol5]-enkephalin (DAMGO)) and differences (strong h-current that contributes to spontaneous firing) compared with GABAergic neurons in the mammalian SNc and VTA. Our results provide insight into the intrinsic membrane properties that regulate the activity of dopaminergic neurons in songbirds and add to strong evidence for anatomical, physiological, and functional similarities between the dopaminergic systems of mammals and birds.

Temperature Sensitivity of Dopaminergic Neurons of the Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta: Involvement of Transient Receptor Potential Channels

2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (5) ◽  
pp. 3069-3080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezia Guatteo ◽  
Kenny K. H. Chung ◽  
Tharushini K. Bowala ◽  
Giorgio Bernardi ◽  
Nicola B. Mercuri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Cell Membrane ◽  
Temperature Sensitivity ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Brain Slices ◽  
Outward Current ◽  
Input Resistance ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Membrane Hyperpolarization

Changes in temperature of up to several degrees have been reported in different brain regions during various behaviors or in response to environmental stimuli. We investigated temperature sensitivity of dopaminergic neurons of the rat substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), an area important for motor and emotional control, using a combination of electrophysiological techniques, microfluorometry, and RT-PCR in brain slices. Spontaneous neuron firing, cell membrane potential/currents, and intracellular Ca2+ level ([Ca2+]i) were measured during cooling by ≤10° and warming by ≤5° from 34°C. Cooling evoked slowing of firing, cell membrane hyperpolarization, increase in cell input resistance, an outward current under voltage clamp, and a decrease of [Ca2+]i. Warming induced an increase in firing frequency, a decrease in input resistance, an inward current, and a rise in [Ca2+]i. The cooling-induced current, which reversed in polarity between −5 and −17 mV, was dependent on extracellular Na+. Cooling-induced whole cell currents and changes in [Ca2+]i were attenuated by 79% in the presence of 2-aminoethoxydiphenylborane (2-APB; 200 μM), and the outward current was reduced by 20% with ruthenium red (100 μM). RT-PCR conducted with tissue punches containing the SNc revealed mRNA expression for TRPV3 and TRPV4 channels, known to be activated in expression systems by temperature changes within the physiological range. 2-APB, a TRPV3 modulator, increased baseline [Ca2+]i, whereas 4αPDD, a TRPV4 agonist, increased spontaneous firing in 7 of 14 neurons tested. We conclude that temperature-gated TRPV3 and TRPV4 cationic channels are expressed in nigral dopaminergic neurons and are constitutively active in brain slices at near physiological temperatures, where they affect the excitability and calcium homeostasis of these neurons.

Acute Effects of 6-Hydroxydopamine on Dopaminergic Neurons of the Rat Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta In Vitro

2005 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 869-881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Berretta ◽  
Peter S. Freestone ◽  
Ezia Guatteo ◽  
Denis de Castro ◽  
Raffaella Geracitano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Acute Effects ◽  
6 Hydroxydopamine ◽  
Rat Substantia Nigra

Cell-Mediated Delivery of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Enhances Dopamine Levels in an Mpp+ Rat Model of Substantia Nigra Degeneration

1996 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy R. Galpern ◽  
David M. Frim ◽  
Stephen B. Tatter ◽  
C. Anthony Altar ◽  
M. Flint Beal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Rat Model ◽  
Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor ◽  
Genetically Engineered ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Nigral Degeneration

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) promotes the survival of fetal mesencephalic dopaminergic cells and protects dopaminergic neurons against the toxicity of MPP+ in vitro. Supranigral implantation of fibroblasts genetically engineered to secrete BDNF attenuates the loss of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) dopaminergic neurons associated with striatal infusion of MPP+ in the adult rat. Using this MPP+ rat model of nigral degeneration, we evaluated the neurochemical effects of supranigral, cell-mediated delivery of BDNF on substantia nigra (SN) dopamine (DA) content and turnover. Genetically engineered BDNF-secreting fibroblasts (~12 ng BDNF/24 h) were implanted dorsal to the SN 7 days prior to striatal MPP+ administration. The present results demonstrate that BDNF-secreting fibroblasts, as compared to control fibroblasts, enhance SN DA levels ipsilateral as well as contralateral to the graft without altering DA turnover. This augmentation of DA levels suggests that local neurotrophic factor delivery by genetically engineered cells may provide a therapeutic strategy for preventing neuronal death or enhancing neuronal function in neurodegenerative diseases characterized by dopaminergic neuronal dysfunction, such as Parkinson's disease.

scholarly journals Establishment of an in vitro model for analyzing mitochondrial ultrastructure in PRKN-mutated patient iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mutsumi Yokota ◽  
Soichiro Kakuta ◽  
Takahiro Shiga ◽  
Kei-ichi Ishikawa ◽  
Hideyuki Okano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscopy ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
In Vitro Model ◽  
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell ◽  
Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta ◽  
Ultrastructural Changes ◽  
Mitochondrial Morphology ◽  
Vitro Model

AbstractMitochondrial structural changes are associated with the regulation of mitochondrial function, apoptosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. PRKN is known to be involved with various mechanisms of mitochondrial quality control including mitochondrial structural changes. Parkinson’s disease (PD) with PRKN mutations is characterized by the preferential degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra pars compacta, which has been suggested to result from the accumulation of damaged mitochondria. However, ultrastructural changes of mitochondria specifically in dopaminergic neurons derived from iPSC have rarely been analyzed. The main reason for this would be that the dopaminergic neurons cannot be distinguished directly among a mixture of iPSC-derived differentiated cells under electron microscopy. To selectively label dopaminergic neurons and analyze mitochondrial morphology at the ultrastructural level, we generated control and PRKN-mutated patient tyrosine hydroxylase reporter (TH-GFP) induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines. Correlative light-electron microscopy analysis and live cell imaging of GFP-expressing dopaminergic neurons indicated that iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons had smaller and less functional mitochondria than those in non-dopaminergic neurons. Furthermore, the formation of spheroid-shaped mitochondria, which was induced in control dopaminergic neurons by a mitochondrial uncoupler, was inhibited in the PRKN-mutated dopaminergic neurons. These results indicate that our established TH-GFP iPSC lines are useful for characterizing mitochondrial morphology, such as spheroid-shaped mitochondria, in dopaminergic neurons among a mixture of various cell types. Our in vitro model would provide insights into the vulnerability of dopaminergic neurons and the processes leading to the preferential loss of dopaminergic neurons in patients with PRKN mutations.

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