Reviving through human hippocampal newborn neurons

Recent contradictory data has renewed discussion regarding the existence of adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) in humans, i.e., the continued production of new neurons in the brain after birth. The present review revisits the debate of AHN in humans from a historical point of view in the face of contradictory evidence, analyzing the methods employed to investigate this phenomenon. Thus, to date, of the 57 studies performed in humans that we reviewed, 84% (48) concluded in favor of the presence of newborn neurons in the human adult hippocampus. Besides quality of the tissue (such as postmortem intervals below 26 hours as well as tissue conservation and fixation), considerations for assessing and quantify AHN in the human brain require the use of stereology and toxicological analyses of clinical data of the patient.     

丙泊酚对大鼠海马脑片CA1区长时程增强的影响

目的观察不同浓度丙泊酚对离体大鼠海马脑片CA1区长时程增强(LTP)的影响。方法30张海马脑片分为五组,Ⅰ、Ⅱ和Ⅲ组分别应用浓度为30、10和3μmolo/L的丙泊酚,Ⅳ组用脂肪乳,Ⅴ组不用药物作为对照。利用细胞外记录方式,以海马脑片CA1区群峰电位(PS)为观察指标,首先观察丙泊酚对CA1区基础传递的影响,待基线稳定后,记录高频刺激(HFS)后海马脑片CA1区PS的变化情况。结果Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ组应用丙泊酚后PS降低,在持续给药后30min恢复至基线。实施HFS后,Ⅲ、Ⅳ和Ⅴ组的PS较HFS前显著升高(P<0.05,P<0.01);而Ⅰ、Ⅱ组PS与HFS前相比差异无显著意义(P>0.05)。HFS后,Ⅰ组PS显著低于Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ和Ⅴ组(P<0.01),Ⅱ组PS也低于Ⅲ、Ⅳ和Ⅴ组(P<0.05)。结论丙泊酚可以抑制大鼠离体海马脑片CA1区LTP的形成。     

去势后大鼠海马结构一氧化氮合酶阳性神经元的变化

目的：观察去势后大鼠海马结构一氧化氮合酶（NOS）阳性神经元的变化。方法：用黄递酶组织化学染色方法观察切除双侧卵巢后雌后SD大鼠海马结构NOS阳性神经元的形态，分布的变化，并进行计算机图像分析。结果：去势后海马结构NOS阳性神经元分布变化有区域差异性；NOS阳性神经元在下托、海马（CA）一区邻近下托的部分、CA三区、CA四区（CA4）和齿状回（DG）数目明显减少，而在CA二区数目明显明显增多，CA4和DG的NOS阳性神经元平均密度降低，胞体的平均周长和平均截面积都明显减少。结论：雌激素可能通过影响海马结构NOS的表达来影响学习和记忆。     

Ineffectiveness of organic calcium channel blockers in antagonizing long-term potentiation

Evidence has accumulated suggesting that the presence of calcium is critical for development of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). However, there is a paucity of information about whether calcium's role in LTP is pre- or postsynaptic. In the present study, we examined the effectiveness of nitrendipine, verapamil, flunarizine and the benzodiazepine diazepam in: blocking voltage-dependent calcium channels; blocking synaptic transmission; and preventing development of LTP. Using the in vitro slice preparation, we obtained intracellular and extracellular recordings from guinea pig hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cells. At the cellular level, all 4 drugs were ineffective in blocking voltage-dependent calcium spikes (TTX resistant) and the calcium-dependent afterhyperpolarization. Verapamil and diazepam appeared to antagonize synaptic transmission, as reflected in smaller population spike amplitudes. Development of long-term potentiation was not affected by the presence of verapamil, flunarizine and diazepam. Nitrendipine appeared to reduce the percentage of slices exhibiting LTP; however, ethanol, the vehicle used to dissolve nitrendipine, was shown in separate experiments to reduce the percentage of slices exhibiting LTP. These results suggest that neither the organic calcium channel blockers--nitrendipine, verapamil, and flunarizine--nor micromolar concentrations of diazepam are potent blockers of extrasynaptic voltage-sensitive calcium channels in hippocampus. They thus cannot be used to demonstrate a specific pre- or postsynaptic calcium role in LTP.     

Angular bundle kindling is accelerated in rats with a genetic predisposition to acoustic stimulus-induced seizures

Limbic kindling was examined in genetically epilepsy-prone (GEPR) and non-epileptic control rats. The early stage of kindling development was accelerated in both groups of GEPR rats compared to controls. Later stages of kindling were accelerated in GEPR-9 but not GEPR-3 rats. These results indicate that GEPR rats have an enhanced susceptibility to limbic kindling and suggest that limbic brain alterations may contribute to acceleration of the early stage kindling development in GEPR rats.     

Rapid effect of stress concentration corticosterone on glutamate receptor and its subtype NMDA receptor activity in cultured hippocampal neurons

Objective: To study the rapid effect of glucocorticoids (GCs) on NMDA receptor activity in hippocampal neurons in stress and to elucidate its underlying probable membrane mechanisms. Methods: Whole-cell patch-clamp recording was used to assess the effect of stress concentration corticosterone (B) on the responses of cultured hippocampal neurons to glutamate and NMDA (N-methy-D-asparatic acid). To make clear the target of B, intracellular dialysis of B(10μmol/L)through patch pipette and extracellular application of bovine serum albumin-conjugated corticosterone (B-BSA, 10μmol/L)were carried out to observe their influence on peak amplitude of NMDA-evoked current. Results: B had a rapid, reversible and inhibitory effect on peak amplitude of GLU-or NMDA-evoked current in cultured hippoeampal neurons. Furthermore, B-BSA had the inhibitory effect on INMDA as that of B, but intraeeUularly dialyzed B had no significant effect on INMDA. Conclusion: These results suggest that under the condition of stress, GCs may rapidly, negatively regulate excitatory synaptic receptors-glutamate receptors (GluRs), especially NMDA receptor (NMDAR) in central nervous system, which is mediated by rapid membrane mechanisms, but not by classical, genomic mechanisms.     

Excitation of locus coeruleus neurons by an adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate-activated inward current: extracellular and intracellular studies in rat brain slices

The firing rate of locus coeruleus (LC) neurons in rat brain slices was increased reversibly by agents that either elevate intracellular levels of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) or mimic its actions (e.g., forskolin, and activator of adenylate cyclase, 8-Br-cAMP, a membrane permeable analog of cAMP, and Ro20-1724, a preferential inhibitor of cAMP-phosphodiesterase). Intracellular recordings showed that 8-Br-cAMP and forskolin induce a depolarization of LC neurons, accompanied by a decrease in input resistance. The 8-Br-cAMP- and forskolin-elicited depolarization persisted in the presence of cobalt, a calcium channel blocker. Steady-state current-voltage curves revealed that in the voltage range of -50 to -120 mV, 8-Br-cAMP and forskolin induced an inward current, which did not reverse at the potassium equilibrium potential and could not be blocked by tetrodotoxin. Partial replacement of sodium with Tris or choline markedly reduced the depolarization elicited by 8-Br-cAMP. We conclude that 8-Br-cAMP and forskolin act through a common mechanism to increase the firing rate of locus coeruleus neurons by inducing a cAMP-activated inward current, carried out at least in part by sodium ions.     

神经保护剂鸡尾酒疗法对海马神经元氧糖剥离（OGD）后神经元凋亡及抗凋亡蛋白Bcl一2表达的影响

目的：探讨不同类型神经保护剂联合应用即鸡尾酒（cocktail）疗法是否较单一神经保护剂对海马神经元培养氧糖剥离（OGD）后有更好的保护作用。方法：采用海马神经元培养氧糖剥离（OGD）模型，分为1，6-二磷酸果糖（FDP）组、MK-801组、N-乙酰半胱氨酸（NAC）组、cocktail组和对照组，观察神经元凋亡及抗凋亡蛋白Bcl-2表达情况。结果：cocktail组神经元凋亡减少，Bcl-2表达增多，与单-用药各组相比有显著性差异（P＜0．05）。结论：神经保护剂cocktail疗法对神经元缺血保护作用较单一用药明显增强。     

Whole-cell recordings from sympathetic preganglionic neurons in rat spinal cord slices

Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings (WCR) were made from sympathetic preganglionic neurons (SPN) in neonate rat spinal cord slices. SPN were identified histologically by filling them with the fluorescent dye Lucifer Yellow contained within the patch pipette solution. Current clamp recordings were obtained from SPN with a potassium based pipette solution. The cells exhibited many of the characteristic properties of SPN seen previously with intracellular recordings in both the rat and the cat. However, we found an order of magnitude increase in both cell input resistance (950 MΩ) and time constant (118 ms) over those seen with conventional recordings. We believe these values approximate better the situation in intact cells, and will have a vital bearing upon how SPN integrate inputs. We conclude that WCR in spinal cord slices provides a powerful tool for investigating the cellular properties of SPN.     

兔局灶脑缺血后脑片[Ca~(2 )]i的变化

目的：研究脑缺血后脑片[Ca2＋]i变化。方法：采用新型Ca2＋荧光指示剂Fura－2双波长法测定兔大脑中动脉阻塞（MCAo）局灶脑缺血后脑片细胞内游离钙（[Ca2＋]i）。结果：脑缺血后脑组织[Ca2＋]i显著升高。结论：[Ca2＋]i在脑缺血损害中起重要作用。