The effects of intranasal infusion of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) upon catecholamine concentrations within olfactory bulbs and corpus striatum of male mice

Male C57/B1 mice received bilateral intranasal infusions of saline, MPTP or an intraperitoneal injection of MPTP. Infusions were performed using a peristaltic pump at a setting of 100 μl/min. The MPTP, diluted in saline at concentrations of 2 mg/ml, was infused over 15 (0.1 mg) or 30 (0.2 mg) s, while the saline (control) infusions were of 30 s duration. In a separate group of mice, MPTP was injected via the intraperitoneal route at a dose equivalent to that of the 30-s intranasal concentration (0.2 mg). At 7 days post-treatment, catecholamine concentrations were determined from the olfactory bulbs and corpus striatum. Concentrations of norepinephrine within both the olfactory bulbs and corpus striatum of mice receiving the intranasal infusion of MPTP were significantly lower than those of the intranasal saline and intraperitoneal MPTP-treated mice. No significant differences in olfactory bulb or corpus striatal dopamine concentrations were obtained as a function of these treatments. These results demonstrate that intranasal infusion of MPTP at low concentrations ( 7.0 mg/kg) can significantly reduce noradrenergic, but not dopaminergic, concentrations within the olfactory bulbs and corpus striatum. By contrast, equivalent concentrations of MPTP administered through intraperitoneal injection were without effect. It appears that the olfactory system may represent a particularly sensitive route for the receipt and transport of the neurotoxin MPTP into the brain.     

Seizures produced by pilocarpine in mice: A behavioral, electroencephalographic and morphological analysis

Increasing doses of pilocarpine, 100-400 mg/kg, were given intraperitoneally to mice and the resulting behavioral, electroencephalographic and neuropathological alterations were studied. No behavioral phenomena were observed in mice treated with the lowest dose of pilocarpine. Occasional tremor and myoclonus of hindlimbs were found in animals which received pilocarpine in a dose of 200 mg/kg. At doses of 300, 325 and 350 mg/kg, pilocarpine produced a sequence of behavioral alterations including staring spells, limbic gustatory automatisms and motor limbic seizures that developed over 15-30 min and built up progressively into a limbic status epilepticus lasting for several hours. The highest dose of pilocarpine, 400 mg/kg, was generally lethal to mice. Pilocarpine produced both interictal and ictal epileptiform activity in the electroencephalogram (EEG). The earliest EEG alterations appeared in the hippocampus and then spread to cortical areas. EEG seizures started 10-15 min after injection of large doses of pilocarpine, 300-350 mg/kg. Ictal periods lasted for 1-2 min, recurred every 5-10 min and were followed by periods of depression of the EEG activity. By 30-45 min paroxysmal activity resulted in a status epilepticus. Examination of frontal forebrain sections with light microscopy revealed a widespread damage to several brain regions including the hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus, olfactory cortex, neocortex and substantia nigra. Scopolamine, 10 mg/kg, and diazepam, 10 mg/kg, prevented the development of convulsive activity and brain damage produced by pilocarpine. The results emphasize that excessive and sustained stimulation of cholinergic receptors can lead to seizures and seizure-related brain damage in mice. It is proposed that systemic pilocarpine in mice provides a useful animal model for studying mechanisms of and therapeutic approaches to temporal lobe epilepsy.     

硫胺素缺乏引起脑内β淀粉样蛋白沉积和tau蛋白磷酸化的增加

目的：探讨硫胺素缺乏（TD）对脑内β淀粉样蛋白（Aβ）沉积、tau蛋白磷酸化的影响。方法：硫胺素剥夺饮食结合腹腔注射吡啶硫胺制作TD小鼠模型,正常对照组给予正常饮食及腹腔注射生理盐水。造模13d后取脑,行苏木精-伊红染色观察两组小鼠脑内易损区域病理改变,免疫组织化学染色检测脑内Aβ沉积、tau蛋白磷酸化及β-分泌酶（BACE）的表达情况。结果：苏木精-伊红染色显示TD模型组小鼠内侧丘脑出现典型的对称性针尖样出血;免疫组化显示TD模型组小鼠皮质、海马及丘脑均出现Aβ沉积,且丘脑Aβ沉积较皮质及海马更为明显,tau蛋白磷酸化及BACE的阳性细胞数显著增加。正常对照组小鼠苏木精-伊红染色脑内未见病理损伤,皮质、海马及丘脑均未发现Aβ沉积,tau蛋白磷酸化及表达BACE的阳性细胞数均明显低于TD模型组,两组差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论：TD可引起Aβ沉积、tau蛋白磷酸化增加等阿尔茨海默病的特征性病理改变,且Aβ沉积可能与上调BACE的表达有关。     

Vital imaging of glomeruli in the mouse olfactory bulb.

We have monitored the pattern of identified glomeruli in the olfactory bulbs of newborn, juvenile, and adult mice over intervals of several hours to several weeks. Our purpose was to assess the development and stability of these complex units in the mammalian brain. Glomeruli can be observed by vital fluorescent staining and laser-scanning confocal microscopy without causing acute or long-term damage to brain tissue. Repeated observation of bulbs in the same animals between birth and 3 weeks of age showed that this region of the brain develops by progressive addition of these units to the original population. This increment occurs by the genesis of smaller new glomeruli between larger existing ones; no elimination of glomeruli was observed during this process. Finally, no addition (or loss) of glomeruli occurred in adult animals over a 2 week interval; once established, the number, size, and pattern of glomeruli are evidently stable.     

Herpes simplex encephalitis: Immunohistological demonstration of spread of virus via olfactory pathways in mice

Six-week-old Balb/c mice were inoculated intranasally with a suspension of HSV1 virus and the distribution of viral antigen in the brain 3–7 days later was surveyed using the immunoperoxidase technique. Virus was first detectable in the brain 4 days later at 2 distinct sites: the trigeminal root entry zone in the brain stem and the olfactory bulbs. On succeeding days virus spread from the trigeminal focus to many other brain stem nuclei and, in some mice, to the thalamus and the cerebellum. From the olfactory bulbs, in a proportion of mice, virus spread to anterior olfactory nucleus, lateral olfactory tract, septal nuclei, temporal lobe, hippocampus and cingulate cortex. Infection of olfactory bulbs was found to occur following intracorneal as well as intranasal inoculation of virus. The relevance of this model to human herpes simplex encephalitis is discussed.     

经鼻滴入海人藻酸引起C57BL/6小鼠嗅球和海马区神经元的退行性病变

目的 应用海人藻酸(KA)在C57BL／6小鼠建立神经退行性病变动物模型并观察其对嗅球神经元的影响。方法 经鼻滴人KA应用尼氏和嗜银染色观察海马及嗅球的病理变化，免疫组化检测Cyclooxygenase2(COX-2)的表达。结果 经鼻滴入KA成功地在C57BL／6小鼠建立了神经退行性病变动物模型，KA通过嗅神经引起双侧嗅球和海马损伤，其病变程度与小鼠体重和滴入KA剂量有关，同时KA引起了脑内明显的胶质细胞增生和炎症因子COX-2在嗅球部的表达。结论 经鼻滴入KA能够引起嗅球和海马的损伤。     

Olfactory neural pathway in mouse hepatitis virus nasoencephalitis

Summary The mechanism of brain infection with mouse hepatitis virus-JHM was studied in BALB/cByJ mice following intranasal inoculation, and found to be a consequence of direct viral spread along olfactory nerves into olfactory bulbs of the brain. Infection was followed sequentially from nose to brain, using microscopy, immunohistochemistry and virus quantification. Lesions, antigen and virus were observed in the olfactory bulb and anterior brain as early as 2 days and posterior brain by 4 days after inoculation. Viral antigen extended through nasal mucosa into submucosa, then coursed along the olfactory nerve perineurium and fibers, through the cribriform plate into the olfactory bulbs. On days 4 and 7, viral antigen was found in the antero-ventral brain, along ventral meninges, olfactory tracts and anterior ramifications of the lateral ventricles. Virus was cleared from nose by 10 days and anterior brain by 20 days, but persisted in posterior brain for 20 days after inoculation. Mice also developed disseminated infection, with viremia and hepatitis. Infection of brain did not correlate with presence of viremia. In contrast to intranasally inoculated mice, orally-inoculated mice did not develop encephalitis, despite evidence of disseminated infection.Supported by USPHS grant RR-02039 from the Division of Research Resources, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Md, USA     

Olfactory bulb involvement in Pick's disease

Summary The olfactory bulbs and stalks were examined in a case of Pick's disease that showed numerous and widespread Pick bodies in the brain. Typical argyrophilic inclusions (Pick bodies) were found not only in many cells of the anterior olfactory nucleus but also in some mitral cells and tufted cells. In addition, neuronal loss and astrocytosis were evident. No neurofibrillary change or senile plaque were detected anywhere in these structures. Electron microscopy disclosed that there was no ultrastructural difference between Pick bodies in the olfactory bulb and those in the cerebral cortex or hippocampus. These data indicate that in Pick's disease mitral cells and tufted cells, as well as anterior olfactory nucleus cells, are affected by degeneration specific to Pick's disease.     

Selective ablation of neurons by methylazoxymethanol during pre- and postnatal brain development

Neonatal or pregnant albino rats were injected with either single or double doses of methylazoxymethanol (20 mg/kg) to test the temporal specificity of its effect on clearly definable regions of the brain. A single dose, to dams from gestational day 11 to 21 (G11-G21) and to neonatal rats from birth to postnatal day 5 (P0-P5), produced differential weight reductions among various brain regions. Two prominent peaks of reduction were found: one occurring between G13 and G15 for the cerebrum and hippocampus and one occurring between P0 and P1 for the cerebellum and olfactory bulbs. Dual injections of the drug on G14 and G15 produced 60% weight reduction in the cerebrum, and slightly earlier injections on G13 and G14 reduced the weight of the cerebellum by about 23%. This weight reduction was accompanied by narrowing of the cerebellar width, which we believe was due to fewer Purkinje cells. Dual injections of methylazoxymethanol at P0 and P1 reduced the weight of the olfactory bulb by 65%, the cerebellum by 62%, and the hippocampus by 18%. These results show that its short action is within the window of cell division for various neurons and becomes additive on two successive days. This precise toxic effect on brain development can be used to disproportionally reduce the number of neuroblasts in specific regions of the brain. A differential ablation allows analysis of plasticity on pyramidal and nonpyramidal cells of the neocortex and hippocampus, Purkinje and granule cells of the cerebellum, and the granule and mitral cells of the olfactory bulbs.     

Mouse model of Bell's palsy induced by reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1

In order to investigate the mechanism of Bell's palsy, we developed an animal model of facial nerve paralysis induced by the reactivation of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1). Eight weeks after recovery from facial nerve paralysis caused by inoculation with HSV-1, the mice were treated with auricular skin scratch at the site of the previous inoculation, or with intraperitoneal injection of anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb), or combination of both procedures. No mice developed facial nerve paralysis when they were treated with either auricular scratch or mAb injection alone. In contrast, 20% of mice developed facial nerve paralysis with the combined treatment. With one exception, no mouse treated with either auricular scratch or mAb injection showed HSV-I DNA in their facial nerve tissue, whereas 4 out of 6 mice receiving both treatments showed HSV-1 DNA on day 10 after treatment. Histopathological findings showed neuronal degeneration in the geniculate ganglion and demyelination of the facial motor nerve in paralyzed mice. These findings suggest that a combination of stimuli, local skin irritation, and general immunosuppression is essential for successfully inducing facial nerve paralysis in mice with latent HSV-1 infection.     

Developmental changes in the amount of glial fibrillary acidic protein in three regions of the rat brain

Glial fibrillary acidic (GFA) protein, extractable in 50 mM phosphate buffer, pH 8, was measured in the olfactory bulbs, forebrain and cerebellum of the rat during development using a double antibody radioimmunoassay. Each brain region showed a different pattern of development for GFA protein. At birth GFA protein per mg protein was highest in olfactory bulbs followed by forebrain and cerebellum, and these amounted to 15, 10 and 8% of the adult values, respectively. The relative increase in GFA protein was more marked during the first 2 postnatal weeks than in the following 7 weeks after birth. When values were expressed per brain region, the developmental increase in the amount of GFA protein from birth to adulthood was about 100-fold in olfactory bulbs, 85-fold in forebrain and 485-fold in cerebellum. The patterns of developmental increases in GFA protein and in glutamine synthetase activity, another protein enriched in astrocytes, were similar in the forebrain and olfactory bulbs, but differed markedly in the cerebellum. The major increase in content of the GFA protein during development was found to correspond with the maturation of astrocytes rather than with their proliferation; however, a small but significant amount of GFA protein acquired at an early age may be related to increase in astroglial cell numbers in the cerebellum.     

Embryonic and postnatal expression of four gamma-aminobutyric acid transporter mRNAs in the mouse brain and leptomeninges

The distribution of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter mRNAs (mGATs) was studied in mouse brain during embryonic and postnatal development using in situ hybridization with radiolabeled oligonucleotide probes. Mouse GATs 1 and 4 were present in the ventricular and subventricular zones of the lateral ventricle from gestational day 13. During postnatal development, mGAT1 mRNA was distributed diffusely throughout the brain and spinal cord, with the highest expression present in the olfactory bulbs, hippocampus, and cerebellar cortex. The mGAT4 message was densely distributed throughout the central nervous system during postnatal week 1; however, the hybridization signal in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus decreased during postnatal weeks 2 and 3, and in adults, mGAT4 labeling was restricted largely to the olfactory bulbs, midbrain, deep cerebellar nuclei, medulla, and spinal cord. Mouse GAT2 mRNA was expressed only in proliferating and migrating cerebellar granule cells, whereas mGAT3 mRNA was absent from the brain and spinal cord throughout development. Each of the four mGATs was present to some degree in the leptomeninges. The expression of mGATs 2 and 3 was almost entirely restricted to the pia-arachnoid, whereas mGATs 1 and 4 were present only in specific regions of the membrane. Although mGATs 1 and 4 may subserve the classical purpose of terminating inhibitory GABAergic transmission through neuronal and glial uptake mechanisms, GABA transporters in the pia-arachnoid may help to regulate the amount of GABA available to proliferating and migrating neurons at the sub-pial surface during perinatal development. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

IGF-1 influences olfactory bulb maturation. Evidence from anti-IGF-1 antibody treatment of developing grafts in oculo

Recent studies have indicated that both insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-1 receptor mRNA are abundant in developing and adult olfactory bulbs, and that IGF-1 receptor mRNA is abundant in the prenatal cerebral cortex. To examine the potential role of IGF-1 in development of a central nervous system region rich in IGF-1 and its receptor (the olfactory bulb), as compared to one in which IGF-1 is less abundant (the cerebral cortex), tissue pieces of these two central nervous system areas from E15–E17 rat fetuses were transplanted into the anterior chamber of the eye of adult host rats. The transplants were treated with either a total of 300 ng truncated IGF-1, two different IGF-1 polyclonal antisera, two different non-immune sera, a total of 15 μg IGF binding protein-1, or vehicle alone. Treatments were administered by preincubation just prior to grafting and by 5 μl injections into the anterior chamber on days 5, 10 and 15 postgrafting. Olfactory bulb grafts treated with either of the two IGF-1 antisera grew significantly larger than grafts receiving any other treatment. No enhancement of graft size was seen in E16–E17 parietal cortex grafts after IGF-1 antibody treatment. Immunohistochemical studies revealed no difference between the treatments with regard to glial fibrillary acidic protein-, tyrosine hydroxylase- or neurofilament-immunoreactivity within the olfactory bulb grafts. Since, in the olfactory bulb the presumed reduction of endogenous IGF-1 achieved by antibody treatment caused enhanced growth, we suggest that the presence of appropriate endogenous levels of IGF-1 in this area induces maturation. This mechanism is not operative in all brain areas since it was not seen in cortex cerebri grafts. Thus, endogenous IGF-1 appears to influence brain development in a regionally specific manner.     

Intermittent thiamine deficiency in the rhesus monkey. I. Progression of neurological signs and neuroanatomical lesions

Rhesus monkeys were subjected to one, two, or four periods of thiamine deficiency to determine how the number of deprivation episodes affects the development and progression of neurological and neuropathological changes. Recrurent thiamine deprivation produced all major neurological signs and most of the anatomical lesions found in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Neither the number and gravity of neurological symptoms nor the extent or location of lesions was related to the number of deprivation periods in a simple way. Thus, some structures, such as the inferior colliculus and medial vestibular nuclei, were affected after only one period of deficiency. Other structures, such as the parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus, were more resistant and exhibited degeneration only after four periods of thiamine deprivation. Severe damage in the basal ganglia was infrequent and was associated with prolonged rather than multiple periods of deprivation. No parenchymal damage was found in the mammillary bodies or mediodorsal nucleus of the thalamus, suggesting that lesions in these prominent sites of damage in Wernicke-Korsakoff disease develop only in the most advanced stages of thiamine deprivation. As a consequence of individual differences in susceptibility to thiamine deficiency, neurological symptoms and signs were more related to the profile of neural damage than to the number or duration of deprivation episodes.     

Cerebellar degeneration in chronic alcoholism: with special reference to an autopsied case showing the restricted form of cerebellar cortical degeneration (Victor)

The brains of 8 patients with chronic alcoholism were neuropathologically examined. The findings obtained in the cerebellum of case 1 (male, aged 52) were in agreement with the restricted form of cerebellar cortical degeneration which was described by Victor et al (1958). The clinicopathological report on the cerebellar degeneration of this type was very rare in Japan. The cerebellar changes were more pronounced in the anterior vermis than in the posterior vermis and hemisphere. Furthermore, some old lesions of Wernicke's encephalopathy were found in this brain. 7 other cases showed very mild cerebellar degeneration. Partial loss of Purkinje cells was found near the tops of cerebellar folia. But their distribution and intensity had no individual variation and there was no tendency that the anterior vermis was more affected. This fact suggests that the alcoholic cerebellar degeneration may have some other cause than the direct toxic effect of ethylalcohol or its metabolites. The etiology of this disease was discussed with reference to thiamine deficiency and mal-nutrition.     

In vivo acute treatment with trimethyltin chloride causes neuronal degeneration in the murine olfactory bulb and anterior olfactory nucleus by different cascades in each region

Our earlier study demonstrated that in vivo acute treatment with trimethyltin chloride (TMT) produces severe neuronal damage in the dentate gyrus and cognition impairment in mice. In the present study, we assessed whether TMT was capable of causing neuronal degeneration in the olfactory bulb (OB) and anterior olfactory nucleus (AON) of the mouse brain. An intraperitoneal injection of TMT at the dose of 2.8 mg/kg led to a dramatic increase in the number of degenerating cells, which were reactive with antibody against single-stranded DNA, in the granule cell layer (GCL) of the OB and AON 1 day and 2 days later, respectively. TMT treatment produced a marked translocation of phospho-c-Jun-N-terminal kinase from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in the AON. Expectedly, a marked increase in phospho-c-Jun-positive cells was seen in the AON after the treatment. In addition to the AON, the mitral cell layer of the olfactory bulb showed the presence of phospho-c-Jun-positive cells after the treatment. However, the GCL had no cells positive for either phospho-c-Jun-N-terminal kinase or phospho-c-Jun at any time after the treatment with TMT. Similarly, TMT-induced nuclear translocation of the lysosomal enzyme deoxyribonuclease II was seen in the AON, but not in the GCL. On the other hand, TMT elicited the expression of activated caspase 3 in the GCL but not in the AON. Taken together, our results suggest that TMT is capable of causing neuronal degeneration in the murine OB and AON through different cascades in the two structures.     

Effects of external chemical environment on the developing olfactory bulbs of the mouse (Mus musculus)

Female mice were reared in observation incubators from day 1 of life for three weeks. During that time they were continuously exposed to the odors of either cyclooctanone, adult male mouse urine or distilled water. The growth rate was temporarily accelerated for the cyclooctanone-exposed mice. There was no difference in age at sexual maturation of the three groups. Olfactory preference, when adult, was not affected by early odor exposure, but sniffing behaviour was markedly increased in the urine-exposed mice as compared with the other two groups. The olfactory bulbs of the cyclooctanone-reared mice were larger than those of the other two groups. Mitral cells in the olfactory bulbs were examined histologically for abnormalities. All mice had some shrunken, darkly staining mitral cells, but the cyclooctanone-reared mice had twice as many as the other two groups, mainly in the dorsal half of the bulb. The urine-exposed mice also had more darkly staining cells than the control mice particularly in the dorsolateral region of the bulb, but also in the dorsomedial region.     

Reversible deafferentation of the adult zebrafish olfactory bulb affects glomerular distribution and olfactory-mediated behavior

The olfactory system is a useful model for studying central nervous system recovery from damage due to its neuroplasticity. We recently developed a novel method of deafferentation by repeated exposure of Triton X-100 to the olfactory organ of adult zebrafish. This long-term, reversible method of deafferentation allows both degeneration and regeneration to be observed in the olfactory bulb. The aim of the present study is to examine olfactory bulb innervation, glomerular patterns, and olfactory-mediated behavior with repeated Triton X-100 treatment and the potential for recovery following cessation of treatment. Olfactory bulbs of control, chronic-treated, and recovery animals were examined for the presence or absence of glomeruli that have been identified in the zebrafish glomerular map. Following chronic treatment, the number of glomeruli was dramatically reduced; however, partial innervation remained in the lateral region of the bulb. When animals were given time to recover, complete glomerular distribution returned. A behavioral assay was developed to determine if innervation remaining correlated with behavior of the fish. Chronic-treated fish did not respond to odorants involved with social behavior but continued to react to odorants that mediate feeding behavior. Following recovery, responses to odorants involved with social behavior returned. The morphological and behavioral effects of chronic Triton X-100 treatment in the olfactory system suggest there may be differential susceptibility or resistance to external damage in a subset of sensory neurons. The results of this study demonstrate the remarkable regenerative ability of the olfactory system following extensive and long-term injury.     

Blood-brain barrier dysfunction in thiamine-deficient,alcohol-treated rats

Summary Rats maintained on a thiamine-deficient diet for 38 days lost weight and showed neurological symptoms. The PA value, representing the permeability of the blood-brain barrier to¹⁴C-sucrose, was significantly increased whether urethane or ethanol was used as anaesthetic. This increase was prevented by giving rats on the same diet injections of thiamine twice weekly. Barrier function was normalised by injecting thiamine into deficient rats for just 3 days before biopsy. The brains of the thiamine-deficient rats were stained by the Fink-Heimer method but showed no degenerating axons except for silver grains in the glomeruli of the olfactory bulb.Other rats were maintained on the same diet for 38 days and additionally exposed to ethanol vapour for 16 h per day. This resulted in a similar loss of weight but a greater leakage of the blood-brain barrier. The latter was normalised by a thiamine injection only 24 h before biopsy, but was not reduced by withdrawal of ethanol for 3 days before biopsy. Axonal degeneration was present in the olfactory glomeruli. However, no lesions or extravasated blood cells were seen in any brains, there was no change in brain water indicative of oedema and no degeneration in retina, distal peripheral nerves or leg muscles. The relation of these and other experimental findings to alcohol-related brain damage is considered.Supported by the Australian Associated Brewers