Sequential acquisition of cacophony calcium currents,sodium channels and voltage‐dependent potassium currents affects spike shape and dendrite growth during postembryonic maturation of an identified Drosophila motoneuron

During metamorphosis the CNS undergoes profound changes to accommodate the switch from larval to adult behaviors. In Drosophila and other holometabolous insects, adult neurons differentiate either from respecified larval neurons, newly born neurons, or are born embryonically but remain developmentally arrested until differentiation during pupal life. This study addresses the latter in the identified Drosophila flight motoneuron 5. In situ patch‐clamp recordings, intracellular dye fills and immunocytochemistry address the interplay between dendritic shape, excitability and ionic current development. During pupal life, changes in excitability and spike shape correspond to a stereotyped, progressive appearance of voltage‐gated ion channels. High‐voltage‐activated calcium current is the first current to appear at pupal stage P4, prior to the onset of dendrite growth. This is followed by voltage‐gated sodium as well as transient potassium channel expression, when first dendrites grow, and sodium‐dependent action potentials can be evoked by somatic current injection. Sustained potassium current appears later than transient potassium current. During the early stages of rapid dendritic growth, sodium‐dependent action potentials are broadened by a calcium component. Narrowing of spike shape coincides with sequential increases in transient and sustained potassium currents during stages when dendritic growth ceases. Targeted RNAi knockdown of pupal calcium current significantly reduces dendritic growth. These data indicate that the stereotyped sequential acquisition of different voltage‐gated ion channels affects spike shape and excitability such that activity‐dependent calcium influx serves as a partner of genetic programs during critical stages of motoneuron dendrite growth.     

异牡荆素对大鼠心室肌细胞瞬时外向钾电流的影响

探究异牡荆素对大鼠心室肌细胞瞬时外向钾通道电流的影响。该实验采用MTT检测法探究异牡荆素的安全范围,结果显示该药物的IC5010~30μmol·L~(-1),而膜片钳实验所选用的药物浓度1~3μmol·L~(-1)均在该安全范围之内。此外,采用主动脉逆行灌流单酶解法得到单个心室肌细胞,应用全细胞膜片钳技术引导、记录大鼠心室肌细胞瞬时外向钾电流(Ito)并分析在给予异牡荆素(IV)前后该电流特征的变化。当IV终浓度低于0.1μmol·L~(-1)时,其对Ito无明显影响,但随着浓度的升高(≥0.3μmol·L~(-1)),Ito峰值逐渐降低[由给药前的(32.32±2.9)p A/p F分别降为(25.83±4.3)p A/p F,1μmol·L~(-1)IV和(19.51±3.5)p A/p F,3μmol·L~(-1)IV],呈现出浓度依赖性抑制现象。在1~3μmol·L~(-1)浓度内,IV使Ito的I-V曲线明显下移。激活曲线结果显示,IV可使最大半数激活电位(V1/2)向正值方向移动[给药前V1/2为(19.59±1.6)m V,给药后V1/2分别升高(22.81±1.7)m V,1μmol·L~(-1)IV;(28.86±1.4)m V,3μmol·L~(-1)IV],同时激活曲线右移。Ito稳态失活曲线的最大半数失活电位(V1/2):给药组(-61.81±1.3)m V,1μmol·L~(-1)和(-71.50±1.4)m V,3μmol·L~(-1)较给药前(-51.43±0.99)m V显著降低。而就失活后恢复曲线的失活时间常数(τ)而言,给药后的τ较给药前明显升高[给药前(94.89±0.73)ms;给药后(118.5±1.5)ms,1μmol·L~(-1);(162.4±1.4)ms,3μmol·L~(-1)],IV使Ito的失活后恢复曲线右移,提示其能延长瞬时外向钾通道的失活后恢复时间。异牡荆素对大鼠心室肌细胞的Ito具有明显的抑制作用。     

回眸2019--聚焦胃肿瘤的研究进展

目前胃部肿瘤以胃癌、胃肠间质瘤和胃神经内分泌肿瘤最为常见。2019年胃癌的腹腔镜手术方面,一系列的研究成果均显示,微创手术在早期胃癌治疗中的安全性以及进展期胃癌的肿瘤学疗效都与传统开放手术相似,为腹腔镜手术在胃癌治疗中的推广提供了高级别循证医学依据。胃癌综合治疗方面,也有重大研究结果公布,我国的临床研究也逐渐得到国际上的认可和关注。靶向治疗和免疫治疗的应用虽有进展,但在胃癌术后的一线治疗尚未能得到认可。胃肠间质瘤领域,腹腔镜手术也逐渐得到推广,晚期耐药患者手术治疗仍有其价值。胃神经内分泌肿瘤方面,最新研究显示,手术方式应根据肿瘤特性来加以选择,胃癌若合并神经内分泌肿瘤成分则可能预后更差。     

Ghrelin receptor activity amplifies hippocampal N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor‐mediated postsynaptic currents and increases phosphorylation of the GluN1 subunit at Ser896 and Ser897

Although ghrelin and its cognate receptor growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR1a) are highly localized in the hypothalamic nuclei for the regulation of metabolic states and feeding, GHSR1a is also highly localized in the hippocampus, suggesting its involvement in extra‐hypothalamic functions. Indeed, exogenous application of ghrelin has been reported to improve hippocampal learning and memory. However, the underlying mechanism of ghrelin regulation of hippocampal functions is poorly understood. Here, we report ghrelin‐promoted phosphorylation of GluN1 and amplified N‐methyl‐d ‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR)‐mediated excitatory postsynaptic currents in the CA1 pyramidal cells of the hippocampus in slice preparations. The ghrelin‐induced responses were sensitive to a GHSR1a antagonist and inverse agonist, and were absent in GHSR1a homozygous knock‐out mice. These results indicated that activation of GHSR1a was critical in the ghrelin‐induced enhancement of the NMDAR function. Interestingly, heterozygous mouse hippocampi were also insensitive to ghrelin treatment, suggesting that a slight reduction in the availability of GHSR1a may be sufficient to negate the effect of ghrelin on GluN1 phosphorylation and NMDAR channel activities. In addition, NMDAR‐mediated spike currents, which are of dendritic origin, were blocked by the GHSR1a antagonist, suggesting the presence of GHSR1a on the pyramidal cell dendrites in physical proximity to NMDAR. Together with our findings on the localization of GHSR1a in the CA1 region of the hippocampus, which was shown by fluorescent ghrelin binding, immunoreactivity, and enhanced green fluorescent protein reporter gene expression, we conclude that the activation of GHSR1a favours rapid modulation of the NMDAR‐mediated glutamatergic synaptic transmission by phosphorylating GluN1 in the hippocampus.     

Differential contribution of Ih to the integration of excitatory synaptic inputs in substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area dopaminergic neurons

The selective vulnerability of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) dopaminergic (DA) neurons is an enigmatic trait of Parkinson's disease (PD), especially if compared to the remarkable resistance of closely related DA neurons in the neighboring ventral tegmental area (VTA). Overall evidence indicates that specific electrophysiological, metabolic and molecular factors underlie SNc vulnerability, although many pieces of the puzzle are still missing. In this respect, we recently demonstrated that 1‐methyl‐4‐phenylpyridinium (MPP+), the active metabolite of the parkinsonizing toxin 1‐methyl‐4‐phenyl‐1,2,3,6‐tetrahydropyridine (MPTP), alters the electrophysiological properties of SNc DA neurons in vitro by inhibiting the hyperpolarization‐activated current (Ih). Here, we present an electrophysiological investigation of the functional role of Ih in the integration of synaptic inputs in identified SNc and VTA DA neurons, comparatively, in acute midbrain slices from TH‐GFP mice. We show that pharmacological suppression of Ih increases the amplitude and decay time of excitatory postsynaptic potentials, leading to temporal summation of multiple excitatory potentials at somatic level. Importantly, these effects are quantitatively more evident in SNc DA neurons. We conclude that Ih regulates the responsiveness to excitatory synaptic transmission in SNc and VTA DA neurons differentially. Finally, we present the hypothesis that Ih loss of function may be linked to PD trigger mechanisms, such as mitochondrial failure and ATP depletion, and act in concert with SNc‐specific synaptic connectivity to promote selective vulnerability.