scholarly journals Pairing Cholinergic Enhancement with Perceptual Training Promotes Recovery of Age-Related Changes in Rat Primary Auditory Cortex

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrice Voss ◽  
Maryse Thomas ◽  
You Chien Chou ◽  
José Miguel Cisneros-Franco ◽  
Lydia Ouellet ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Primary Auditory Cortex ◽  
Auditory Training ◽  
Tone Frequency ◽  
Perceptual Training ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Functional Changes ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Old Rats

We used the rat primary auditory cortex (A1) as a model to probe the effects of cholinergic enhancement on perceptual learning and auditory processing mechanisms in both young and old animals. Rats learned to perform a two-tone frequency discrimination task over the course of two weeks, combined with either the administration of a cholinesterase inhibitor or saline. We found that while both age groups learned the task more quickly through cholinergic enhancement, the young did so by improving target detection, whereas the old did so by inhibiting erroneous responses to nontarget stimuli. We also found that cholinergic enhancement led to marked functional and structural changes within A1 in both young and old rats. Importantly, we found that several functional changes observed in the old rats, particularly those relating to the processing and inhibition of nontargets, produced cortical processing features that resembled those of young untrained rats more so than those of older adult rats. Overall, these findings demonstrate that combining auditory training with neuromodulation of the cholinergic system can restore many of the auditory cortical functional deficits observed as a result of normal aging and add to the growing body of evidence demonstrating that many age-related perceptual and neuroplastic changes are reversible.

scholarly journals Recovery of functional and structural age-related changes in the rat primary auditory cortex with operant training

2010 ◽  
Vol 107 (31) ◽  
pp. 13900-13905 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. de Villers-Sidani ◽  
L. Alzghoul ◽  
X. Zhou ◽  
K. L. Simpson ◽  
R. C. S. Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Primary Auditory Cortex ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Changes ◽  
Operant Training

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 Short-term Effects of Vagus Nerve Stimulation on Learning and Evoked Activity in Auditory Cortex

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesyin Lai ◽  
Stephen V. David
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Vagus Nerve ◽  
Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Neural Plasticity ◽  
Neural Coding ◽  
Vagus Nerve Stimulation ◽  
Primary Auditory Cortex ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Tone Frequency

ABSTRACTChronic vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) can facilitate learning of sensory and motor behaviors. VNS is believed to trigger release of neuromodulators, including norepinephrine and acetylcholine, which can mediate cortical plasticity associated with learning. Most previous work has studied effects of VNS over many days, and less is known about how acute VNS influences neural coding and behavior over the shorter term. To explore this question, we measured effects of VNS on learning of an auditory discrimination over 1-2 days. Ferrets implanted with cuff electrodes on the vagus nerve were trained by classical conditioning on a tone frequency-reward association. One tone was associated with reward while another tone, was not. The frequencies and reward associations of the tones were changed every two days, requiring learning of a new relationship. When the tones (both rewarded and non-rewarded) were paired with VNS, rates of learning increased on the first day following a change in reward association. To examine VNS effects on auditory coding, we recorded single- and multi-unit neural activity in primary auditory cortex (A1) of passively listening animals following brief periods of VNS (20 trials/session) paired with tones. Because afferent VNS induces changes in pupil size associated with fluctuations in neuromodulation, we also measured pupil during recordings. After pairing VNS with a neuron’s best-frequency (BF) tone, responses in a subpopulation of neurons were reduced. Pairing with an off-BF tone or performing VNS during the inter-trial interval had no effect on responses. We separated the change in A1 activity into two components, one that could be predicted by fluctuations in pupil and one that persisted after VNS and was not accounted for by pupil. The BF-specific reduction in neural responses remained, even after regressing out changes that could be explained by pupil. In addition, the size of VNS-mediated changes in pupil predicted the magnitude of persistent changes in the neural response. This interaction suggests that changes in neuromodulation associated with arousal gate the long-term effects of VNS on neural activity. Taken together, these results support a role for VNS in auditory learning and help establish VNS as a tool to facilitate neural plasticity.

Effect of Aging on the Activities of Acetylcholinesterase, Na+, K+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase in Rat Pituitary and Hypothalamus

1998 ◽  
Vol 53 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 168-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stylianos Tsakiris ◽  
Panagoula Angelogianni ◽  
John C. Stavridis
Keyword(s):  
Atpase Activity ◽  
Ache Activity ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Metabolic Energy ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Neural Excitability ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Rat Pituitary ◽  
Old Rats

Abstract Acetylcholinesterase (AChE), Na+, K+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase activities were esti­mated in homogenised rat pituitary and hypothalamus of 4-and 22-month-old rats. AChE activity was not altered in the pituitary of aged com pared to adult rats, while it was found decreased by about 40% in the hypothalamus. Na+,K+-ATPase activity remained stable in the hypothalamus, while it was decreased by about 38% in the pituitary. Mg2+-ATPase activ­ity remained unchanged in the hypothalamus, but was increased by about 83% in the pitu­itary. This pituitary Na+, K+-ATPase inactivation may result in pathological mood and de­creased neural excitability and metabolic energy production in aged animals.The age-related alterations of AChE , Na+, K+-ATPase and Mg2+-ATPase activities may reflect changes in secretion and responses of some hormones of pituitary and hypothalamus.

scholarly journals Dissociable influences of primary auditory cortex and the posterior auditory field on neuronal responses in the dorsal zone of auditory cortex

2015 ◽  
Vol 113 (2) ◽  
pp. 475-486
Author(s):  
Melanie A. Kok ◽  
Daniel Stolzberg ◽  
Trecia A. Brown ◽  
Stephen G. Lomber
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Receptive Fields ◽  
Primary Auditory Cortex ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Noise Burst ◽  
Hierarchical Organization ◽  
Neuronal Responses ◽  
Tone Frequency ◽  
Hierarchical Processing ◽  
Auditory Field

Current models of hierarchical processing in auditory cortex have been based principally on anatomical connectivity while functional interactions between individual regions have remained largely unexplored. Previous cortical deactivation studies in the cat have addressed functional reciprocal connectivity between primary auditory cortex (A1) and other hierarchically lower level fields. The present study sought to assess the functional contribution of inputs along multiple stages of the current hierarchical model to a higher order area, the dorsal zone (DZ) of auditory cortex, in the anaesthetized cat. Cryoloops were placed over A1 and posterior auditory field (PAF). Multiunit neuronal responses to noise burst and tonal stimuli were recorded in DZ during cortical deactivation of each field individually and in concert. Deactivation of A1 suppressed peak neuronal responses in DZ regardless of stimulus and resulted in increased minimum thresholds and reduced absolute bandwidths for tone frequency receptive fields in DZ. PAF deactivation had less robust effects on DZ firing rates and receptive fields compared with A1 deactivation, and combined A1/PAF cooling was largely driven by the effects of A1 deactivation at the population level. These results provide physiological support for the current anatomically based model of both serial and parallel processing schemes in auditory cortical hierarchical organization.

Age-related differences in angiotensin I metabolism by isolated perfused rat lungs

1980 ◽  
Vol 238 (5) ◽  
pp. R395-R399 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. B. Wallace ◽  
R. A. Roth ◽  
J. B. Hook ◽  
M. D. Bailie
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Vasculature ◽  
Lung Mass ◽  
Angiotensin I ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Bicarbonate Buffer ◽  
Vasoactive Substances ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Old Rats ◽  
Ace Activity ◽  
Related Increase

The pulmonary vasculature has been implicated in the clearance of several vasoactive substances from the circulation including angiotensin I (AI). In view of the previously reported age-related differences in angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity of lung homogenates, it was of interest to examine the ability of intact perfused lungs to metabolize AI. Lungs from newborn and adult rats were perfused with Krebs bicarbonate buffer containing 1.0 ng/ml AI in a single-pass, nonrecirculating system. The rate of perfusion was normalized to lung mass. Removal of AI was determined from the transpulmonary difference in radioimmunoassayable AI. Lungs from 7-day-old rats removed a smaller fraction of AI from the circulation than did adult lungs. The age-related increase in AI clearance was accompanied by an increase in pulmonary ACE content; however, enzyme content alone could not account for the observed differences. The increased metabolism of AI by the pulmonary vasculature during development may contribute to the age-related increase in circulating angiotensin II concentrations.

Role of oxidative stress in defective renal dopamine D1 receptor-G protein coupling and function in old Fischer 344 rats

2006 ◽  
Vol 291 (5) ◽  
pp. F945-F951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Riham Zein Fardoun ◽  
Mohammad Asghar ◽  
Mustafa Lokhandwala
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
G Protein ◽  
D1 Receptor ◽  
Serine Phosphorylation ◽  
D1 Receptors ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
G Protein Coupling ◽  
Protein Coupling ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Old Rats

Aging is associated with an increase in oxidative stress. Previously, we have reported that dopamine failed to inhibit proximal tubular Na-K-ATPase and to promote sodium excretion in old rats (Beheray S, Kansra V, Hussain T, and Lokhandwala MF. Kidney Int 58: 712–720, 2000). This was due to uncoupling of dopamine D1 receptors from G proteins resulting from hyperphosphorylation of D1 receptors. The present study was designed to test the role of oxidative stress in the age-related decline in renal dopamine D1 receptor function. We observed that old animals had increased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, a biomarker of oxidative stress, and decreased D1 receptor number and protein in the proximal tubules (PT) compared with adult rats. In old rats, there was increased G protein-coupled receptor kinase-2 (GRK-2) abundance, increased basal serine phosphorylation of D1 receptors, and defective D1 receptor-G protein coupling in PT membranes. Interestingly, supplementation with an antioxidant, tempol (1 mmol/l in drinking water for 15 days), lowered MDA levels and normalized D1 receptor number and protein in old rats to the level seen in adult rats. Furthermore, tempol decreased GRK-2 abundance and D1 receptor serine phosphorylation and restored D1 receptor-G protein coupling in PT of old rats. The functional consequence of these changes was the restoration of the natriuretic response to D1 receptor activation in tempol-supplemented old rats. Therefore, in old rats, tempol reduces oxidative stress and prevents GRK-2 membranous abundance and hyperphosphorylation of D1 receptors, resulting in restoration of D1 receptor-G protein coupling and the natriuretic response to SKF-38393. Thus tempol, by lowering oxidative stress, normalizes the age-related decline in dopamine receptor function.

Expression of acetylcholine receptor mRNAs in atrophying and nonatrophying skeletal muscles of old rats

1998 ◽  
Vol 85 (5) ◽  
pp. 1903-1908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald R. Gomes ◽  
Frank W. Booth
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptor ◽  
Biceps Brachii ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Brown Norway ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Γ Subunit ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Old Rats

We examined the age-related association in skeletal muscle between atrophy and expression of mRNAs encoding both the γ-subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR), and myogenin, a transcription factor that upregulates expression of the γ-subunit promoter. Gastrocnemius and biceps brachii muscles were collected from young (2-mo-old), adult (18-mo-old), and old (31-mo-old) Fischer 344/Brown Norway F1 generation cross male rats. In the gastrocnemius muscles of old vs. young and adult rats, lower muscle mass was accompanied by significantly elevated AChR γ-subunit and myogenin mRNA levels. In contrast, the biceps brachii muscle exhibited neither atrophy nor as drastic a change in AChR γ-subunit and myogenin mRNA levels with age. Expression of the AChR ε-subunit mRNA did not change with age in either gastrocnemius or biceps brachii muscles. Thus changes in skeletal muscle AChR γ-subunit and myogenin mRNA levels may be more related to atrophy than to chronological age in old rats.

scholarly journals Age-Related Deterioration of Perineuronal Nets in the Primary Auditory Cortex of Mice

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dustin H. Brewton ◽  
Jamiela Kokash ◽  
Oliva Jimenez ◽  
Eloy R. Pena ◽  
Khaleel A. Razak
Keyword(s):  
Auditory Cortex ◽  
Primary Auditory Cortex ◽  
Perineuronal Nets ◽  
Age Related
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