Erratum to "Noise-induced changes of neuronal spontaneous activity in mice inferior colliculus brain slices"

The inferior colliculus (IC) in vivo is reportedly subject to a noise-induced decrease of GABA-related inhibitory synaptic transmission accompanied by an amplitude increase of auditory evoked responses, a widening of tuning curves and a higher neuronal discharge rate at suprathreshold levels. However, other in vivo experiments which demonstrated constant neuronal auditory thresholds or unchanged spontaneous activity in the IC after noise exposure did not confirm those findings. Perhaps this can be the result of complex noise-induced interactions between different central auditory structures. It was, therefore, the aim of the present study to investigate the effects of noise exposure on the spontaneous electrical activity of single neurons in a slice preparation of the isolated mouse IC. Normal hearing mice were exposed to noise (10 kHz center frequency at 115 dB SPL for 3 h) at the age of 21 days under anesthesia (Ketamin/Rompun 10:1). After one week, auditory brainstem response (ABR) recordings and extracellular single-unit recordings from spontaneously active neurons within the IC slice were performed in noise-exposed and in normal hearing control mice. Noise-exposed animals showed a significant ABR threshold shift in the whole tested frequency range and a significant lower neuronal spontaneous activity in all investigated isofrequency laminae compared to controls. In both groups, the firing rate of 80% of IC neurons (approximately) increased significantly during the application of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist Bicucullin (10 microM). The present findings demonstrate a noise-related modulation of spontaneous activity in the IC, which possibly contribute to the generation of noise-induced tinnitus and hearing loss.     

Noise-induced changes of neuronal spontaneous activity in mice inferior colliculus brain slices

The inferior colliculus (IC) in vivo is reportedly subject to a noise-induced decrease of GABA-related inhibitory synaptic transmission accompanied by an amplitude increase of auditory evoked responses, a widening of tuning curves and a higher neuronal discharge rate at suprathreshold levels. However, other in vivo experiments which demonstrated constant neuronal auditory thresholds or unchanged spontaneous activity in the IC after noise exposure did not confirm those findings. Perhaps this can be the result of complex noise-induced interactions between different central auditory structures. It was, therefore, the aim of the present study to investigate the effects of noise exposure on the spontaneous electrical activity of single neurons in a slice preparation of the isolated mouse IC. Normal hearing mice were exposed to noise (10 kHz center frequency at 115 dB SPL for 3 h) at the age of 21 days under anesthesia (Ketamin/Rompun 10:1). After one week, auditory brainstem response (ABR) recordings and extracellular single-unit recordings from spontaneously active neurons within the IC slice were performed in noise-exposed and in normal hearing control mice. Noise-exposed animals showed a significant ABR threshold shift in the whole tested frequency range and a significant lower neuronal spontaneous activity in all investigated isofrequency laminae compared to controls. In both groups, the firing rate of 80% of IC neurons (approximately) increased significantly during the application of the GABA(A) receptor antagonist Bicucullin (10 microM). The present findings demonstrate a noise-related modulation of spontaneous activity in the IC, which possibly contribute to the generation of noise-induced tinnitus and hearing loss.     

Up-regulation of cochlear Hes1 expression in response to noise exposure

Hes1, a hairy and enhancer of split homolog, negatively regulates inner ear hair cell differentiation. The main objective of this study was to investigate the status of the Hes1 gene in the noise-damaged cochlea in relation to the degree of noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Adult albino guinea pigs were exposed to white-band noise (115 dB sound pressure level). Noise exposure for either 1 or 3 hours induced significant elevations of threshold in auditory brainstem response (ABR) compared with unexposed controls. Succinate dehydrogenase staining showed that white-band noise exposure caused significant outer hair cell losses. In addition, we found significant up-regulations of cochlear Hes1 mRNA and protein expressions following acoustic trauma, and Hes1 mRNA expression was positively correlated with NIHL. These findings suggest that up-regulation of Hes1 expression in response to noise exposure may be one of the underlying mechanisms of NIHL.     

Correlation of neural response properties with auditory thalamus subdivisions in the awake marmoset

As the information bottleneck of nearly all auditory input that reaches the cortex, the auditory thalamus serves as the basis for establishing auditory cortical processing streams. The functional organization of the primary and nonprimary subdivisions of the auditory thalamus is not well characterized, particularly in awake primates. We have recorded from neurons in the auditory thalamus of awake marmoset monkeys and tested their responses to tones, band-pass noise, and temporally modulated stimuli. We analyzed the spectral and temporal response properties of recorded neurons and correlated those properties with their locations in the auditory thalamus, thereby forming the basis for parallel output channels. Three medial geniculate body (MGB) subdivisions were identified and studied physiologically and anatomically, although other medial subdivisions were also identified anatomically. Neurons in the ventral subdivision (MGV) were sharply tuned for frequency, preferred narrowband stimuli, and were able to synchronize to rapid temporal modulations. Anterodorsal subdivision (MGAD) neurons appeared well suited for temporal processing, responding similarly to tone or noise stimuli but able to synchronize to the highest modulation frequencies and with the highest temporal precision among MGB subdivisions. Posterodorsal subdivision (MGPD) neurons differed substantially from the other two subdivisions, with many neurons preferring broadband stimuli and signaling changes in modulation frequency with nonsynchronized changes in firing rate. Most neurons in all subdivisions responded to increases in tone sound level with nonmonotonic changes in firing rate. MGV and MGAD neurons exhibited responses consistent with provision of thalamocortical input to core regions, whereas MGPD neurons were consistent with provision of input to belt regions.     

Structural changes in the adult rat auditory system induced by brief postnatal noise exposure

In previous studies (Grécová et al., Eur J Neurosci 29:1921–1930, 2009; Bures et al., Eur J Neurosci 32:155–164, 2010), we demonstrated that after an early postnatal short noise exposure (8 min 125 dB, day 14) changes in the frequency tuning curves as well as changes in the coding of sound intensity are present in the inferior colliculus (IC) of adult rats. In this study, we analyze on the basis of the Golgi–Cox method the morphology of neurons in the IC, the medial geniculate body (MGB) and the auditory cortex (AC) of 3-month-old Long–Evans rats exposed to identical noise at postnatal day 14 and compare the results to littermate controls. In rats exposed to noise as pups, the mean total length of the neuronal tree was found to be larger in the external cortex and the central nucleus of the IC and in the ventral division of the MGB. In addition, the numerical density of dendritic spines was decreased on the branches of neurons in the ventral division of the MGB in noise-exposed animals. In the AC, the mean total length of the apical dendritic segments of pyramidal neurons was significantly shorter in noise-exposed rats, however, only slight differences with respect to controls were observed in the length of basal dendrites of pyramidal cells as well as in the neuronal trees of AC non-pyramidal neurons. The numerical density of dendritic spines on the branches of pyramidal AC neurons was lower in exposed rats than in controls. These findings demonstrate that early postnatal short noise exposure can induce permanent changes in the development of neurons in the central auditory system, which apparently represent morphological correlates of functional plasticity.     

Post-exposure treatment with ginsenoside compound K ameliorates auditory functional injury associated with noise-induced hearing loss in mice

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is thought to primarily involve damage to the sensory hair cells of the cochlea via mechanical and metabolic mechanisms. Unfortunately, initial studies assessing the effectiveness of post-exposure treatment after hearing loss have yielded largely disappointing results. This study explored the effects of oral treatment with Korean red ginseng (RG) and with two bioavailable ginsenoside metabolites, ginsenoside Rh1 and ginsenoside compound K (GCK), in response to NIHL in a murine model. Pharmacological treatments began 24h after noise exposure and were continued once daily for 7 days. Central auditory function was evaluated using auditory middle latency responses, and cochlear function was determined based on transient evoked otoacoustic emissions. Additionally, cochlear hair cell morphology was investigated after noise exposure. Both Korean red ginseng and compound K reduced threshold shifts, central auditory function damage, and cochlear functional and morphological deficits. In contrast, treatment with ginsenoside Rh1 did not result in recovery of NIHL in mice. These results suggest that consumption of Korean red ginseng may facilitate recovery from noise-induced hearing loss. Furthermore, one of the active constituents in ginseng is likely ginsenoside compound K.     

Directionality derived from differential sensitivity to monaural and binaural cues in the cat's medial geniculate body

Azimuth tuning of high-frequency neurons in the primary auditory cortex (AI) is known to depend on binaural disparity and monaural spectral (pinna) cues present in broadband noise bursts. Single-unit response patterns differ according to binaural interactions, strength of monaural excitatory input from each ear, and azimuth sensitivity to monaural stimulation. The latter characteristic has been used as a gauge of neural sensitivity to monaural spectral directional cues. Azimuth sensitivity may depend predominantly on binaural disparity cues, exclusively on monaural spectral cues, or on both. The primary goal of this study was to determine whether each cortical response pattern corresponds to a similar pattern in the medial geniculate body (MGB) or whether some patterns are unique to the cortex. Single-unit responses were recorded from the ventral nucleus (Vn) and lateral part of the posterior group of thalamic nuclei (Po), tonotopic subdivisions of the MGB. Responses to free-field presentation of noise bursts that varied in azimuth and sound pressure level were obtained using methods identical to those used previously in field AI. Many units were azimuth sensitive, i.e., they responded well at some azimuths, and poorly, if at all, at others. These were studied further by obtaining responses to monaural noise stimulation, approximated by reversible plugging of one ear. Monaural directional (MD) cells were sensitive to the azimuth of monaural noise stimulation, whereas binaural directional (BD) cells were either insensitive to its azimuth or monaurally unresponsive. Thus BD and MD cells show differential sensitivity to monaural spectral cues. Monaural azimuth sensitivity could not be used to interpret the spectral sensitivity of predominantly binaural cells that exhibited strong binaural facilitation because they were either unresponsive or poorly responsive to monaural stimulation. The available evidence suggests that some such cells are sensitive to spectral cues. The results do not indicate the presence of any response types in AI that are not present in the MGB. Vn and Po contain similar classes of MD and BD cells. Because Po neurons project to the anterior auditory field, neurons in this cortical area also are likely to exhibit differential sensitivity to binaural disparity and monaural spectral cues. Comparison of these MGB data with a published report of cochlear nucleus (CN) single-unit azimuth tuning shows that MGB sensitivity to spectral cues is considerably stronger than CN sensitivity.     

三维建模的猫听皮质定位与主要分区的研究

目的研究猫听皮质的定位与主要分区的三维可视化。方法利用生物素葡聚糖胺(BDA)进行顺行追踪,建立猫听皮质区域的原始数据库,通过3D软件Amira进行重构。结果建立了猫大脑半球及其听皮质区域的数据库,将听皮质分为AⅠ、AAF、P、VP、AⅡ五区,重建了大脑半球及其主要听皮质分区的数字化解剖模型。结论将组织学技术与计算机图像处理技术相结合,可以从三维的角度来研究和重建听皮质的分区结构。     

Noise exposure-induced enhancement of auditory cortex response and changes in gene expression

Noise exposure is one of the most common causes of hearing loss. There is growing evidence suggesting that noise-induced peripheral hearing loss can also induce functional changes in the central auditory system. However, the physiological and biological changes in the central auditory system induced by noise exposure are poorly understood. To address these issues, neurophysiological recordings were made from the auditory cortex (AC) of awake rats using chronically implanted electrodes before and after acoustic overstimulation. In addition, focused gene microarrays and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to identify changes in gene expression in the AC. Monaural noise exposure (120 dB sound pressure level, 1 h) significantly elevated hearing threshold on the exposed ear and induced a transient enhancement on the AC response amplitude 4 h after the noise exposure recorded from the unexposed ear. This increase of the cortical neural response amplitude was associated with an upregulation of genes encoding heat shock protein (HSP) 27 kDa and 70 kDa after several hours of the noise exposure. These results suggest that noise exposure can induce a fast physiological change in the AC which may be related to the changes of HSP expressions.     

Noise-induced time-dependent changes in oxidative stress in the mouse cochlea and attenuation by D-methionine

Oxidative stress in the cochlea is considered to play an important role in noise-induced hearing loss. This study determined changes in superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, lipid peroxidation (LPO) and the auditory brainstem response (ABR) in the cochlea of C57BL/6 mice prior to and immediately, 1, 3, 7, 10, 14 and 21 days after noise exposure (4 kHz octave band at the intensity of 110 dB SPL for 4 h). A significant increase in SOD activity immediately and on 1st day after noise exposure, without a concomitant increase in catalase activity suggested a difference in the time dependent changes in the scavenging enzymes, which facilitates the increase in LPO observed on day 7. The ABR indicated significant noise-induced functional deficits which stabilized in 2 weeks with a permanent threshold shift (PTS) of 15 dB at both 4 kHz and 8 kHz. The antioxidant D-methionine (D-Met) reversed the noise-induced changes in LPO levels and enzyme activities. It also significantly reduced the PTS observed on the 14th day from 15 dB to 5 dB for 4 kHz. In summary, the findings indicate that time-dependent alterations in scavenging enzymes facilitate the production of reactive oxygen species and that D-met effectively attenuates noise-induced oxidative stress and the associated functional loss in the mouse cochlea.     

Branched projections in the auditory thalamocortical and corticocortical systems

Branched axons (BAs) projecting to different areas of the brain can create multiple feature-specific maps or synchronize processing in remote targets. We examined the organization of BAs in the cat auditory forebrain using two sensitive retrograde tracers. In one set of experiments (n=4), the tracers were injected into different frequency-matched loci in the primary auditory area (AI) and the anterior auditory field (AAF). In the other set (n=4), we injected primary, non-primary, or limbic cortical areas. After mapped injections, percentages of double-labeled cells (PDLs) in the medial geniculate body (MGB) ranged from 1.4% (ventral division) to 2.8% (rostral pole). In both ipsilateral and contralateral areas AI and AAF, the average PDLs were <1%. In the unmapped cases, the MGB PDLs ranged from 0.6% (ventral division) after insular cortex injections to 6.7% (dorsal division) after temporal cortex injections. Cortical PDLs ranged from 0.1% (ipsilateral AI injections) to 3.7% in the second auditory cortical area (AII) (contralateral AII injections). PDLs within the smaller (minority) projection population were significantly higher than those in the overall population. About 2% of auditory forebrain projection cells have BAs and such cells are organized differently than those in the subcortical auditory system, where BAs can be far more numerous. Forebrain branched projections follow different organizational rules than their unbranched counterparts. Finally, the relatively larger proportion of visual and somatic sensory forebrain BAs suggests modality specific rules for BA organization.     

Effects of changes in cortical arousal and of auditory cortex cooling on neuronal activity in the medial geniculate body

Summary The activity of cells in the medial geniculate body (MGB) of adult cats was recorded during different states of cortical arousal with and without cooling of the auditory cortex. In the absence of auditory cortex cooling, the overall mean unit spontaneous discharge rate was 49% higher during desynchronized Electrocorticogram (ECoG) periods (high cortical arousal) than during synchronized periods (low cortical arousal). Responses to sound were somewhat more prominent vis-à-vis the spontaneous activity during periods of high arousal. Changes in spontaneous discharge rate associated with arousal shifts were significantly reduced during auditory cortex cooling. When the ECoG changed from desynchronized to synchronized activity, MGB cells showed a change in discharge pattern, typically characterized by an increase in both high-rate bursts and long-interval pauses. These changes were duplicated for most cells by cooling of the auditory cortex. Corticofugal fiber discharge thus has an effect on MGB neuronal activity which is dependent on the level of cortical arousal. This effect is most likely a result of direct corticogeniculate activity, though indirect auditory cortex — brainstem — MGB routes may also be involved.Supported by a grant from the University of Illinois Campus Research Board     

Interconnections of the auditory cortical fields of the cat with the cingulate and parahippocampal cortices

Summary The interconnections of the auditory cortex with the parahippocampal and cingulate cortices were studied in the cat. Injections of the anterograde and retrograde tracer WGA-HRP were performed, in different cats (n = 9), in electrophysiologically identified auditory cortical fields. Injections in the posterior zone of the auditory cortex (PAF or at the PAF/AI border) labeled neurons and axonal terminal fields in the cingulate gyrus, mainly in the ventral bank of the splenial sulcus (a region that can be considered as an extension of the cytoarchitectonic area Cg), and posteriorly in the retrosplenial area. Labeling was also present in area 35 of the perirhinal cortex, but it was sparser than in the cingulate gyrus. Following WGA-HRP injection in All, no labeling was found in the cingulate gyrus, but a few neurons and terminals were labeled in area 35. In contrast, no or very sparse labeling was observed in the cingulate and perirhinal cortices after WGA-HRP injections in the anterior zone of the auditory cortex (AI or AAF). A WGA-HRP injection in the cingulate gyrus labeled neurons in the posterior zone of the auditory cortex, between the posterior ectosylvian and the posterior suprasylvian sulci, but none was found more anteriorly in regions corresponding to AI, AAF and AII. The present data indicate the existence of preferential interconnections between the posterior auditory cortex and the limbic system (cingulate and parahippocampal cortices). This specialization of posterior auditory cortical areas can be related to previous observations indicating that the anterior and posterior regions of the auditory cortex differ from each other by their response properties to sounds and their pattern of connectivity with the auditory thalamus and the claustrum.Abbreviations AAF anterior auditory cortical field - aes anterior ectosylvian sulcus - AI primary auditory cortical field - AII secondary auditory cortical field - ALLS anterior-lateral lateral suprasylvian visual area - BF best frequency - C cerebral cortex - CC corpus callosum - CIN cingulate cortex - CL claustrum - DLS dorsal lateral suprasylvian visual area - DP dorsoposterior auditory area - E entorhinal cortex - IC inferior colliculus - LGN lateral geniculate nucleus - LV pars lateralis of the ventral division of the MGB - LVe lateral ventricule - MGB medial geniculate body - OT optic tract - OV pars ovoidea of the ventral division of the MGB - PAF posterior auditory cortical field - pes posterior ectosylvian sulcus - PLLS posterior-lateral lateral suprasylvian visual area - PS posterior suprasylvian visual area - PU putamen - RE reticular complex of thalamus - rs rhinal sulcus - SC superior colliculus - SS suprasylvian sulcus - T temporal auditory cortical field - TMB tetramethylbenzidine - VBX ventrobasal complex of thalamus, external nucleus - VL pars ventrolateralis of the ventral division of the MGB - VLS ventrolateral suprasylvian visual area - VPAF ventroposterior auditory cortical field - WGA-HRP wheat germ agglutinin labeled with horseradish peroxidase - wm white matter     

Neural representations of temporally modulated signals in the auditory thalamus of awake primates

In sensory systems, the thalamus has historically been considered a relay station. Neural representations of temporal modulations in the auditory system undergo considerable changes as they pass from the inferior colliculus (IC) to the auditory cortex. We sought to determine in awake primates the extent to which auditory thalamic neurons contribute to these transformations. We tested the temporal processing capabilities of medial geniculate body (MGB) neurons in awake marmoset monkeys using repetitive click stimuli. MGB neurons were able to synchronize to periodic clicks at repetition rates significantly higher than auditory cortex neurons. Unlike responses in the MGB of anesthetized animals, >40% of MGB neurons in awake marmosets displayed nonsynchronized discharges when stimulated by high click rates (short interclick intervals). Such nonsynchronized MGB responses typically occurred at higher repetition rates than those observed in auditory cortex. In contrast to auditory cortex neurons, many MGB neurons exhibited both synchronized and nonsynchronized discharge patterns. In both MGB and auditory cortex, synchronized and nonsynchronized responses represented complementary ranges of interclick intervals (1/click rate). Furthermore, the temporal processing abilities of some MGB neurons were sensitive to the spectrotemporal parameters of the click stimuli used. Together, these findings suggest that MGB neurons participate in active transformations of the neural representations of temporal modulations from IC to auditory cortex. In particular, the MGB appears to be the first station in the auditory ascending pathway in which substantial nonsynchronized responses emerge.     

Afferent fibers to the anterior suprasylvian gyrus from the medial geniculate body of cat

Afferents to the anterior suprasylvian gyrus (ASG) from the medial geniculate body of cat were demonstrated by means of autoradiography. [3H]Glycine was injected stereotactically into the medial division of the medial geniculate body (mMGB). After a 3-day survival period, the auditory cortices and the ASG were excised. Labelled terminals were found in the ASG, in the anterior auditory field (AAF) and in the acoustic cortex (AI). The density of labelling was highest in the ASG and lower in the AAF and AI. The afferents from the mMGB made synaptic contacts in the 3rd layer of the cortices examined.     

Doxepin Mitigates Noise‐induced Neuronal Damage in Primary Auditory Cortex of Mice via Suppression of Acid Sphingomyelinase/Ceramide Pathway

Neuronal damage in primary auditory cortex (A1) underlies complex manifestations of noise exposure, prevention of which is critical for health maintenance. Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) catalyzes generation of ceramide (Cer) which if over‐activated mediates neuronal disorders in various diseases. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), by restraining ASM/Cer, benefits multiple neuronal anomalies, so we aimed to elucidate the effect of TCA on noise induced hearing loss and auditory cortex derangement, unraveling mechanism involved. The mice were exposed to noise with frequencies of 20–20 KHz and intensity of 95 dB. Doxepin hydrochloride (DOX), a kind of TCAs, was given intragastrically by 5 mg kg^?1 days^?1. Morphology of neurons was examined using hematoxylin‐eosin (HE) and Nissl staining. Apoptosis was assayed through transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL). The content of ASM, Cer or acid ceramidase (AC) was detected by western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis. We demonstrated intense, broad band noise caused upward shift of auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold to sound over frequencies 4–32 KHz, with prominent morphologic changes and enhanced apoptosis in neurons of primary auditory cortex (A1) (P < 0.05). DOX partly restored noise‐caused hearing loss alleviating morphologic changes or apoptosis remarkably (P < 0.05). Both ASM and Cer abundance were elevated significantly by noise which was reversed upon DOX treatment (P < 0.05), but neither noise nor DOX altered AC content. DOX had no influence on hearing, neuronal morphology or ASM/Cer in control mice. Our result suggests DOX palliates noise induced hearing loss and neuronal damage in auditory cortex by correcting over‐activation of ASM/Cer without hampering intrinsic behavior of it. Anat Rec, 300:2220–2232, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Corticofugal projection inhibits the auditory thalamus through the thalamic reticular nucleus

Electrical stimulation of the auditory cortex (AC) causes both facilitatory and inhibitory effects on the medial geniculate body (MGB). The purpose of this study was to identify the corticofugal inhibitory pathway to the MGB. We assessed two potential circuits: 1) the cortico-colliculo-thalamic circuit and 2) cortico-reticulo-thalamic one. We compared intracellular responses of MGB neurons to electrical stimulation of the AC following bilateral ablation of the inferior colliculi (IC) or thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) in anesthetized guinea pigs. Cortical stimulation with intact TRN could cause strong inhibitory effects on the MGB neurons. The corticofugal inhibition remained effective after bilateral IC ablation, but it was minimized after the TRN was lesioned with kainic acid. Synchronized TRN neuronal activity and MGB inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs) were observed with multiple recordings. The results suggest that corticofugal inhibition traverses the corticoreticulothalamic pathway, indicating that the colliculi-geniculate inhibitory pathway is probably only for feedforward inhibition.     

GFAP aggregates in the cochlear nerve increase the noise vulnerability of sensory cells in the organ of Corti in the murine model of Alexander disease

Outer hair cell (OHC) loss in the auditory sensory epithelium is a primary cause of noise-induced sensory-neural hearing loss (SNHL). To clarify the participation of glial cells in SNHL, we used an Alexander disease (AxD) mouse model. These transgenic mice harbor the AxD causal mutant of the human glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) under the control of the mouse GFAP promoter. It is thought that GFAP aggregates compromise the function of astrocytes. In the auditory pathway, the formation of GFAP aggregates was observed only in GFAP-positive cells of the cochlear nerve. The presence of GFAP aggregates did not change auditory function at the threshold level. To assess the change in vulnerability to auditory excitotoxicity, both transgenic and control mice were treated with intense noise exposure. Auditory threshold shifts were assessed by auditory brainstem responses (ABR) at 1 and 4 weeks after noise exposure, and OHC damage was analyzed by quantitative histology at 4 weeks after exposure. Transgenic mice showed more severe ABR deficits and OHC damage, suggesting that cochlear nerve glial cells with GFAP aggregates play a role in noise susceptibility. Thus, we should focus more on the roles of cochlear nerve glial cells in SNHL.     

基于三维建模的猫内侧膝状体与听皮层的投射研究

目的研究猫内侧膝状体(medial geniculate body,MGB)的立体定位与主要亚核团的三维可视化及其与听皮层(auditory cortex,AC)的神经投射。方法在细胞构筑及采用辣根过氧化物酶(Horseradish Peroxidase,HRP)、生物素葡聚糖胺(biotinylated dextran amine,BDA)进行神经追踪基础上,建立猫内侧膝状体及听皮层冠状切片的二维数据库,通过软件Amira实现可视化及三维建模。结果1.猫内侧膝状体腹侧群(MGBv)、背侧群(MGBd)以及内侧群(MGBm)三个主要亚核团的重建模型真实、精确,再现了猫右脑半球内MGB各亚核团的自然形态及毗邻。2.内侧膝状体各亚核团的构成方式、听皮层的层状分布模式、广义听皮层内部各亚区之间的配布模式之间存在着相对应的组构格局。结论细胞构筑、神经示踪、组织化学染色和数字人图像处理技术相结合,实现了内侧膝状体主要亚核团的三维重建,对听觉通路的相关研究和小核团的数字解剖学研究具有重要意义。     

Auditory corticocortical interconnections in the cat: evidence for parallel and hierarchical arrangement of the auditory cortical areas

Summary The origin and laminar arrangement of the homolateral and callosal projections to the anterior (AAF), primary (AI), posterior (PAF) and secondary (AII) auditory cortical areas were studied in the cat by means of electrophysiological recording and WGA-HRP tracing techniques. The transcallosal projections to AAF, AI, PAF and AII were principally homotypic since the major source of input was their corresponding area in the contralateral cortex. Heterotypic transcallosal projections to AAF and AI were seen, originating from the contralateral AI and AAF, respectively. PAF received heterotypic commissural projections from the opposite ventroposterior auditory cortical field (VPAF). Heterotypic callosal inputs to AII were rare, originating from AAF and AI. The neurons of origin of the transcallosal connections were located mainly in layers II and III (70–92%), and less frequently in deep layers (V and VI, 8–30%). Single unit recordings provided evidence that both homotypic and heterotypic transcallosal projections connect corresponding frequency regions of the two hemispheres. The regional distribution of the anterogradely labeled terminals indicated that the homotypic and heterotypic auditory transcallosal projections are reciprocal. The present data suggest that the transcallosal auditory interconnections are segregated in 3 major parallel components (AAF-AI, PAF-VPAF and AII), maintaining a segregation between parallel functional channels already established for the thalamocortical auditory interconnections. For the intrahemispheric connections, the analysis of the retrograde tracing data revealed that AAF and AI receive projections from the homolateral cortical areas PAF, VPAF and AII, whose neurons of origin were located mainly in their deep (V and VI) cortical layers. The reciprocal interconnections between the homolateral AAF and AI did not show a preferential laminar arrangement since the neurons of origin were distributed almost evenly in both superficial (II and III) and deep (V and VI) cortical layers. On the contrary, PAF received inputs from the homolateral cortical fields AAF, AI, AII and VPAF, originating predominantly from their superficial (II and III) layers. The homolateral projections reaching AII originated mainly from the superficial layers of AAF and AI, but from the deep layers of VPAF and PAF. The laminar distribution of anterogradely labeled terminal fields, when they were dense enough for a confident identification, was systematically related to the laminar arrangement of neurons of origin of the reciprocal projection: a projection originating from deep layers was associated with a reciprocal projection terminating mainly in layer IV, whereas a projection originating from superficial layers was associated with a reciprocal projection terminating predominantly outside layer IV. This laminar distribution indicates that the homolateral auditory cortical interconnections have a feed-forward/feed-back organization, corresponding to a hierarchical arrangement of the auditory cortical areas, according to criteria previously established in the visual system of primates. The principal auditory cortical areas could be ranked into 4 distinct hierarchical levels. The tonotopically organized areas AAF and AI represent the lowest level. The second level corresponds to the non-tonotopically organized area AII. Higher, the tonotopically organized areas VPAF and PAF occupy the third and fourth hierarchical levels, respectively.Abbreviations AAF anterior auditory cortical area - AI primary auditory cortical area - AII secondary auditory cortical area - BF best frequency - C cerebral cortex - CA caudate nucleus - CL claustrum - D dorsal nucleus of the dorsal division of the MGB - ea anterior ectosylvian sulcus - ep posterior ectosylviansulcus - IC internal capsule - LGN lateral geniculate nucleus - LV pars lateralis of the ventral division of the MGB - LVe lateral ventricule - M pars magnocellularis of the medial division of the MGB - MGB medial geniculate body - MGBv ventral division of the MGB - OT optic tract - OV pars ovoidea of the ventral division of the MGB - PAF posterior auditory cortical area - PH parahippocampal cortex - PO lateral part of the posterior group of thalamic nuclei - PU putamen - RE reticular complex of thalamus - rs rhinal sulcus - SG suprageniculate nucleus of the dorsal division of the MGB - ss suprasylvian sulcus - TMB tetrametylbenzidine - VBX ventrobasal complex - VLa ventrolateral complex - VL ventro-lateral nucleus of the ventral division of the MGB - WGA-HRP wheat germ agglutinin conjugated to horse-radish peroxidase - WM white matter - VPAF ventro-posterior auditory cortical area