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D Murchison

Publications and source records attributed to D Murchison.

10 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Increased calcium buffering in basal forebrain neurons during aging.

Increased calcium buffering in basal forebrain neurons during aging. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 350-364, 1998. Alterations of neuronal calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis are thought to underlie many age-related changes in the nervous system. Basal forebrain neurons are susceptible to changes associated with aging and to related dysfunctions such as Alzheimer's disease. It recently was shown that neurons from the medial septum and nucleus of the diagonal band (MS/nDB) of aged (24-27 mo) F344 rats have an increased current influx through voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) relative to those of young (1-4. 5 mo) rats. Possible age-related changes in Ca2+ buffering in these neurons have been investigated using conventional whole cell and perforated-patch voltage clamp combined with fura-2 microfluorimetric techniques. Basal intracellular Ca2+ concentrations ([Ca2+]i), Ca2+ influx, Ca2+ transients (Delta[Ca2+]i), and time course of Delta[Ca2+]i were quantitated, and rapid Ca2+ buffering values were calculated in MS/nDB neurons from young and aged rats. The involvement of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) was examined with the SER Ca2+ uptake blocker, thapsigargin. An age-related increase in rapid Ca2+ buffering and Delta[Ca2+]i time course was observed, although basal [Ca2+]i was unchanged with age. The SER and endogenous diffusible buffering mechanisms were found to have roles in Ca2+ buffering, but they did not mediate the age-related changes. These findings suggest a model in which some aging central neurons could compensate for increased Ca2+ influx with greater Ca2+ buffering.

Aging↗
PubMed1996

High-voltage-activated calcium currents in basal forebrain neurons during aging.

1. Both conventional whole cell and perforated-patch voltage-clamp recordings were made of high-voltage-activated (HVA) calcium (Ca2+) channel currents in acutely dissociated medical septum and nucleus of the diagonal band neurons from young (1-3.5 mo) and aged (19-26.5 mo) Fischer 344 rats. Barium (Ba2+) was used as the charge carrier to minimize secondary Ca(2+)-induced conductances and Ca(2+)-induced inactivation. 2. When HVA currents generated by voltage ramps from a holding potential (Vh) of-60 mV were recorded within minutes after whole cell formation, no change in peak current density was observed between young (-44.7 +/- 2.5 pA/pF, mean +/- SE, n = 93) and aged (-44.2 +/- 2.1 pA/pF, n = 86) cells. However, currents recorded later with voltage step protocols revealed a reduction in peak current amplitudes and a trend toward larger peak current densities in aged cells. From a Vh of -60 mV and with steps to -10 mV, current densities were -21.5 +/- 1.9 pA/pF in young cells (n = 55) and -25.0 +/- 2.0 pA/pF in aged cells (n = 44). The differences in current densities recorded by the two protocols were explained by nonspecific current rundown and the development of a slow (min) inactivation process. Slow inactivation was different from conventional rundown of HVA currents because it was reversible with the use of perforated-patch recordings. 3. Perforated-patch recordings were used to characterize slow inactivation. There was significantly less slow inactivation in aged cells. When voltage steps (200 ms in duration, from -80 to -10 mV) were delivered at 12-s intervals, slow inactivation reduced the current after 15 min to 63 +/- 7% of control in young cells and 86 +/- 4% in aged cells (P = 0.028). When voltage steps were delivered at 20-s intervals, the current at the 15th step decreased to 93.4 +/- 1.5% of control in aged cells, compared with 86.6 +/- 1.6% in young (P = 0.007). There was less slow inactivation with increased intervals between voltage steps and with shorter step durations. There was also less inactivation with reduced concentration of charge carrier, indicating a current-dependent component to slow inactivation. Additionally, a voltage-dependent component was evident, because slow inactivation was increased at depolarized VhS. 4. Perforated-patch recordings were used to study at least four pharmacologically distinct fractions of HVA currents in both young and aged cells. Nifedipine (10 microM) blocked 16.9 +/- 2.8% and 23.6 +/- 2.5% of the HVA currents in young and aged cells, respectively. omega-Conotoxin GVIA (500 nM) blocked 53.2 +/- 5.8% in young and 53.6 +/- 2.9% in aged cells. In young cells, omega-agatoxin IVA (200-400 nM) blocked 28.4 +/- 2.2% of the HVA current, and it blocked 29.9 +/- 2.8% in aged cells. A fraction of the current (young cells: 13.8 +/- 2.2%; aged cells: 11.4 +/- 1.6%) was resistant to a combination of all three antagonists. Cadmium (100 microM) completely blocked the remaining HVA current. No significant age-related differences in the HVA current fractions were observed. 5. The HVA current density, current-voltage relationship, and voltage-dependent activation were unchanged with age. However, slow inactivation of HVA currents was reduced in aged cells. The age-related difference in HVA Ca2+ currents reported here suggests a possible mechanism by which Ca2+ homeostasis may be altered in aged neurons.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

Low-voltage activated calcium currents increase in basal forebrain neurons from aged rats.

1. Whole cell patch-clamp recordings were made of low-voltage-activated (LVA) calcium (Ca2+) currents using 2 mM barium (Ba2+) as charge carrier. Acutely dissociated neurons from medial septum (MS) and the nucleus of the diagonal band (nDB) were examined in young adult (1-3 mo) and aged (24-26 mo) Fischer 344 rats. 2. Most neurons in both age groups displayed LVA currents: 84% of young cells (110/131) and 87% in aged cells (62/71). Using cell capacitance as an indication of cell size, aged cells were significantly smaller (P < 0.05; 15.4 +/- 0.6 pF; mean +/- SE) than young cells (18.0 +/- 0.5 pF), although a single distribution of cell sizes was present in both populations. 3. The LVA currents were enhanced in cells from aged animals. When LVA currents were studied without activation of high voltage activated currents, the current density (pA/pF) was significantly (P < 0.05) increased at negative potentials in aged neurons (young: 4.92 +/- 0.35 pA/pF; Aged: 5.92 +/- 0.45 pA/pF, at a prepulse potential of -110 mV). No change in voltage-dependent activation or inactivation was seen. The time course of recovery from inactivation also was unchanged. 4. Kinetic parameters of LVA currents were compared in both age groups. No age-related difference in time-dependent activation or inactivation was observed. A single distribution of decay time constants of LVA currents was present in both age groups. 5. These results show that MS/nDB cells maintain robust LVA currents and have increased current densities in very old rats. An increased LVA current in the aged neurons suggests that their ability to fire rhythmically or in bursts is retained or enhanced and that the resulting increase in intracellular Ca2+ may contribute to an altered Ca2+ homeostasis.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

A separate local pattern-generating circuit controls the movements of each swimmeret in crayfish.

1. Within an abdominal segment, the motor output from the segmental ganglion to the swimmerets consists of coordinated bursts of impulses in the separate pools of motor neurons innervating the left and right limbs. This coordinated motor pattern features alternating (out-of-phase) bursts of impulses in the power-stroke (PS) and return-stroke (RS) motor axons that innervate each swimmeret. PS bursts on both sides of each segment occur simultaneously (in-phase), and so RS bursts on both sides are also in-phase. 2. With all intersegmental connections interrupted, isolated abdominal ganglia were able to sustain the normal swimmeret motor pattern of alternating PS/RS activity that was bilaterally in-phase. 3. After an isolated ganglion was surgically bisected down the midline, the isolated hemiganglia that resulted could produce stable, coordinated alternation of PS and RS bursts. 4. The neuropeptide proctolin could induce rhythmic oscillations of membrane potential in swimmeret neurons when spiking was blocked by tetrodotoxin (TTX). For neurons within the same hemiganglion, these oscillations retained the same phase relations they displayed in controls, but the oscillations of neurons in different hemiganglia became uncoordinated. 5. Synaptic transmission between swimmeret neurons in the same hemiganglion persisted in the presence of TTX. Swimmeret interneurons that could activate the pattern-generating circuitry under control conditions could induce membrane-potential oscillations in swimmeret neurons of the same hemiganglion when TTX was present. 6. We conclude that a separate hemisegmental pattern-generating circuit controls the rhythmic PS and RS movements of each swimmeret. Each circuit is located in the same hemiganglion as the population of motor neurons that innervates the local swimmeret. Graded transmission is sufficient to coordinate the timing of oscillatory activity within the hemisegmental circuitry. These hemisegmental circuits are coupled by intersegmental and bilateral coordinating pathways that are dependent on sodium action potentials for their operation.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Synaptic interactions among neurons that coordinate swimmeret and abdominal movements in the crayfish.

1. Many interneurons in the crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) abdominal nervous system influence two behaviors, abdominal positioning and swimmeret movements. Such neurons are referred to as dual output cells. Other neurons which influence either one behavior or the other are single output cells. 2. Extensive synaptic interactions were observed between both dual and single output neurons involved in the control of abdominal positioning and swimmeret movements. Over 60% of all neuron pairs examined displayed interactions. Pairs of agonist neurons displayed excitatory interactions, while pairs of antagonists had inhibitory interactions. This pattern of interaction was observed in about 75% of interactive neuron pairs whether abdominal positioning or swimmeret outputs were considered. 3. Evidence for both serial and parallel connectivity, as well as, reciprocal or looping connections was observed. Looping connections can be found both between the abdominal positioning and swimmeret systems and within each system. 4. Most (28/34) single output neurons were not presynaptic to dual output neurons. No single output neurons were found to excite dual output neurons to spiking, although inhibitory interactions and weak excitations were observed. 5. Abdominal positioning inhibitors displayed properties consistent with a role in mediating some of the coordination between the swimmeret and abdominal positioning systems. 6. None of the dual output neurons examined influenced the swimmeret motoneurons directly.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1990

Dual motor output interneurons in the abdominal ganglia of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii: synaptic activation of motor outputs in both the swimmeret and abdominal positioning systems by single interneurons.

Many behavior patterns of the crayfish involve the positioning of the abdomen by the tonic motor system. Movements and positionings of the swimmerets are coordinated with these abdominal movements. Evidence from extracellular analyses suggested that single interneurons of the abdominal nerve cord could produce motor outputs in both the swimmeret and the abdominal positioning systems. Our intracellular investigation has revealed that many single cells can evoke outputs in both motor systems. Interneurons which produced fictive extension or flexion of the abdomen or inhibition of abdominal movement were also able to modulate a variety of swimmeret behavior including cyclic beating and excitation or inhibition of episodic outputs. Although interneurons were discovered that evoked each of the possible classes of dual-output combinations, those that evoked combinations frequently observed in the freely behaving animal were more common than those that evoked infrequently observed combinations. Evidence also indicated that abdominal positioning inhibitors are present in greater numbers than previously suspected and that many are closely associated with the swimmeret circuitry. Interneurons with the ability to start and stop swimmeret cyclic outputs with current injections of opposite polarity are proposed to be higher-order cells, and some are shown to have the properties of trigger neurons. It is proposed that most dual-output cells are presynaptic to single-output cells and that groups of related dual-output cells may function together as command elements.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Failure to confirm a vascular cause of muscular dystrophy.

The vascular hypothesis of the cause of muscular dystrophy suggests that ischemia is responsible for the muscle fiber necrosis. A xenon 133 clearance study of muscle blood flow in Duchenne and other muscular dystrophies showed no obvious difference between the response to exercise and arterial occlusion compared with control subjects. Radioautographic study of distribution of 4-125l-antipyrine in skeletal muscle of mice with muscular dystrophy showed no abnormal areas of ischemia. A statistical examination was also made of the grouping of damaged fibers, one of the observations on which the vascular hypothesis was based. Only 0.9% of fibers undergoing phagocytosis occurred in groups of four or more fibers in greater frequency than would have been expected by chance, and 70% of such fibers were isolated. These studies argue strongly against the vascular hypothesis of the cause of muscular dystrophy.

Adult↗