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Biomedical subjects

G Audesirk

Publications and source records attributed to G Audesirk.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Evidence for genetic influences on neurotransmitter content of identified neurones of Lymnaea stagnalis.

Neurotransmitter content was measured in two identified giant neurones in isogenic and wild-type populations of the freshwater pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. The paired serotonergic cerebral giant neurones (LC1 and RC1) have higher transmitter levels and less variability in inbred animals than in wild-type animals. The transmitter content of the unpaired dopaminergic right pedal giant neurone (RPeD1) does not differ between inbred and wild-type animals in either level or variability. It is proposed that serotonin content of the cerebral giant neurones is under partial genetic control, and that animals of the wild-type population may possess a number of different alleles for the genes influencing serotonin levels. Inbreeding resulted in fixation of an allele promoting high serotonin levels. This particular wild-type population is probably already isogenic for genes influencing dopamine content in the right pedal giant neurone.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Chronic lead exposure reduces junctional resistance at an electrical synapse.

Both acute and chronic lead exposure have been found to inhibit transmission at chemical synapses, possibly by interfering with inward calcium current. We have found that chronic lead exposure slightly reduces input resistance and greatly reduces the junctional resistance between two strongly electrically coupled neurons in the pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. The net effect is to increase the strength of electrical coupling. A reduction in gap junctional resistance would also be expected to increase the flow of small molecules between cells. However, Lucifer Yellow injections did not reveal dye-coupling between the cells. Lead exposure also increases the capacitance of the neurons.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Effects of chronic low level lead exposure on the physiology of individually identifiable neurons.

Although chronic exposure to lead has been correlated with a variety of behavioral and neurochemical deficits in humans and other mammals, little is known of the mechanisms of action of chronic lead at the level of the individual nerve cell. We have used the individually identifiable neurons of the freshwater pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis as a model system to investigate the effects of chronic low level (5 microM) lead exposure on neuronal physiology. Thirteen neuronal parameters were measured with intracellular microelectrode recording in each of six different identifiable neurons or homogeneous neuron clusters. Results were analyzed by a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). MANOVA analysis indicates that there is a significant overall effect of lead exposure (p = 0.0001) and a significant interaction between lead and neuron type (p = 0.01). In most neuron types, chronic lead causes an increase in the resting potential, a slowing of recovery of the membrane potential after the undershoot of a spike, a decrease in spontaneous spiking activity, and a decrease in the input resistance. Lead also has differential effects on identifiable neurons, depressing excitability in some neuron types while not altering excitability in others.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1982

Variability and frequent failure of lucifer yellow to pass between two electrically coupled neurons in Lymnaea stagnalis.

The electrically coupled giant neurosecretory neurons VD1 and RPD2 of Lymnaea stagnalis were found to have coupling coefficients ranging from ca. 0.1-0.6. When the fluoroescent dye Lucifer Yellow was injected intracellularly into one of the neurons, in most preparations no dye was observed to pass through into the coupled cell body or the process leading to it. There was no apparent correlation between the amount of dye coupling and the length of time allowed for diffusion of the dye in the cells. In eight preparations, the electrical coupling coefficient was measured before dye was injected. There was no correlation between dye coupling and the electrical coupling coefficient.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Circadian Rhythm of Neuron R15 of Aplysia californica: In Vivo Photoentrainment.

(1) The neuron R15 in the parietovisceral ganglion of Aplysia has a circadian rhythm of spiking activity when recorded in the isolated ganglion. The rhythm is entrained in vivo by light-dark cycles. (2) The phase of the R15 rhythm is a function not only of the entraining light schedule, but also of the time of dissection. Changes in the dissection time during the light portion of the light-dark cycle yield little change in the subsequent R15 peak time. Dissections during the dark portion produce peak times that vary with dissection time with a slope that is approximately one. (3) The circadian rhythm of R15 can be phase-shifted in vivo by changes in the phase of the entraining light-dark cycle in one to two weeks. R15 neurons of blinded Aplysia, however, show little or no phase shift in this time. (4) It is concluded that the eyes are important as receptors for the photoentrainment of the R15 rhythm in vivo, but that neural connections from the eyes to R15 are not required.

Journal Article↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Electrophysiology of lead intoxication: effects on voltage-sensitive ion channels.

Neuronal function depends on the activity of a variety of voltage-sensitive, ion-specific membrane channels, including channels permeable chiefly to sodium, potassium, and calcium. The plasma membranes of many neurons contain several types of each class of channel. In general, heavy metal ions exert little effect on voltage-sensitive sodium or potassium channels, but inhibit ion flow through voltage-sensitive calcium channels (VSCC). The literature abounds with descriptions of different types of calcium channels in vertebrate neurons. These descriptions suggest that there are many physiologically and pharmacologically distinct calcium channels, some of them possibly cell-type specific. Among the heavy metals, Pb2+ is one of the most potent inhibitors of VSCC in both vertebrate and invertebrate neurons. Some heavy metals, including Ni2+ and Cd2+, are fairly selective against certain types of calcium channels. Limited evidence suggests that Pb2+ inhibits all calcium channel types within a given cell, with only minor differences in potency. However, there appear to be substantial differences among cell types in the concentration dependence of calcium channel inhibition by Pb2+. Therefore, to appreciate the range of effects of Pb2+ on calcium channels throughout the nervous system, it will be important to examine a large number of cell types. Pb2+ is highly permeable through at least some types of VSCC. Entry of Pb2+ into the neuronal cytoplasm through VSCC, followed by disturbance of intracellular functions, may be a major mechanism of Pb2+ neurotoxicity.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The effects of inorganic lead on voltage-sensitive calcium channels differ among cell types and among channel subtypes.

The whole-cell version of patch clamping was used to compare the effects of acute in vitro exposure to inorganic lead (Pb2+) on voltage-sensitive calcium channels in cultured N1E-115 mouse neuroblastoma cells and E18 rat hippocampal neurons. Free Pb2+ concentrations in salines with a high lead-buffering capacity were measured with a calibrated Pb(2+)-selective electrode. Previously, we found that N1E-115 neurons contain low voltage activated, rapidly inactivating (T) channels and high voltage activated, slowly inactivating (L) channels. Pb2+ inhibits both channel subtypes in N1E-115 cells, with some selectivity against L-type channels (IC50 approximately 700 nM free Pb2+ for L-type channels, 1300 nM free Pb2+ for T-type channels; Audesirk and Audesirk, 1991). In addition to T-type and L-type channels, cultured E18 rat hippocampal neurons have been reported to contain high voltage-activated, rapidly inactivating (N) channels. In our experiments with 5 to 20 day old cultures, almost all neurons showed substantial L-type current, approximately half showed significant N-type current, and fewer than 5% showed significant T-type current. We found that Pb2+ is somewhat selective against L-type channels (IC50 approximately 30 nM free Pb2+ in 10 mM Ba2+ as the charge carrier, 55 nM in 50 mM Ba2+) compared to N-channels (IC50 approximately 80 nM free Pb2+ in 10 mM Ba2+, 200 nM in 50 mM Ba2+). These results suggest that the effects of Pb2+ on calcium channels of vertebrate neurons vary both among cell types and among channel subtypes.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of inorganic lead on the differentiation and growth of cortical neurons in culture.

Lead exposure has devastating effects on the developing nervous system, producing morphological, cognitive, and behavioral deficits. To elucidate some of the mechanisms of lead neurotoxicity, we have examined its effects on the differentiation of several types of cultured neurons. Previously, we reported the effects of inorganic lead on several parameters of growth and differentiation of E18 rat hippocampal neurons and two types of neuroblastoma cells cultured in medium with 2% fetal calf serum (FCS) (Audesirk et al., 1991). In the present study, we report the effects of concentrations of lead ranging from 1nM to 1 mM on the differentiation of hippocampal neurons cultured in medium containing 10% FCS. In addition, we investigated lead effects on neurons isolated from the motor cortex region of the E18 rat embryo. Cortical neurons were exposed to lead in concentrations ranging from 0.1 nM to 1 mM in medium with either 10% FCS or 2% FCS for 48 hr. The effects of lead tended to be multimodal. Neurite initiation, which is highly sensitive to neurotoxic compounds, was inhibited by lead at both high and low concentrations, with no effects at intermediate levels. Medium with 10% FCS enhanced certain growth parameters and tended to reduce the effects of lead. There was an overall consistency in the effects of lead on motor cortex and hippocampal neurons.

Animals↗