Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Piriform Cortex”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources

Immunohistochemical study on the distribution of voltage-gated K(+) channels in rat brain following transient focal ischemia.

The present study examined the spatial localizations of voltage-gated K(+) (Kv) channels in the rat brain following transient focal ischemia, using immunohistochemistry. Increased expression of Kv1.2 was obvious in the cerebral cortex, dentate gyrus, amygdala, and hypothalamic areas at 3 days following ischemic insults. There was a significant increase in Kv1.2 immunoreactivity in several cortical regions, including cingulate cortex, infralimbic cortex, dorsal peduncular cortex and piriform cortex. On the contrary, Kv1.2 immunoreactivity had not significantly increased in the hippocampal CA1-3 regions although moderate Kv1.2 immunoreactivity was found in the cell bodies and processes of some neurons. Potentially the first demonstration of spatial changes in Kv1.2 channel expression could provide important molecular basis for altered neuronal excitability after ischemic brain injury.

Amygdala↗

Mild preconditioning hypoxia modifies nerve growth factor-induced gene A messenger RNA expression in the rat brain induced by severe hypoxia.

The effect of preconditioning (PC) on the changes of nerve growth factor-induced gene A (NGFI-A) expression induced by severe hypobaric hypoxia was studied by in situ hybridization. A PC consisted of three trials of mild hypobaric hypoxia (360 Torr, 2 h) spaced at 24 h. The last trial was followed by severe hypoxia (SH; 180 Torr, 3 h) 24 h later. The PC hypoxia prevented the NGFI-A messenger RNA (mRNA) increase in the cortex, neostriatum, piriform cortex, amygdala and hippocampus detected 3 h after SH. The preconditioned SH caused a peak in NGFI-A mRNA expression at the 24 h time-point and thus abolished the dramatic decrease of the mRNA in vulnerable areas seen by 24 and 72 h after SH. The findings suggest a role of brain NGFI-A in the protective effect of hypoxic/ischemic PC.

Animals↗

Alteration in expression of G-protein-activated inward rectifier K+-channel subunits GIRK1 and GIRK2 in the rat brain following electroconvulsive shock.

G-protein-activated inward rectifier potassium channels are coupled to a number of neurotransmitter receptors, including some monoamine receptors. In the present study we have investigated the effect of electroconvulsive shock on gene expression of the G-protein-activated inward rectifier potassium channel subunits G-protein-coupled inward rectifier K+-channel (GIRK1) and GIRK2 in the rat brain using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry. Acute electroconvulsive shock (a single shock) increased GIRK2 expression while causing a transient reduction of the messenger RNA abundance of GIRK1 in granule cells of the dentate gyrus. Chronic electroconvulsive shock (five shocks over 10 days) caused a larger increase in GIRK2 messenger RNA abundance, which was accompanied by an increase in GIRK2 immunoreactivity in the molecular layer of the dentate gyrus. Unlike for acute electroconvulsive shock, GIRK1 messenger RNA abundance in the dentate gyrus was significantly increased after chronic electroconvulsive shock. No significant alterations in GIRK1 and GIRK2 messenger RNA abundance were detected in the other brain regions studied, including the CA1 and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus, the frontal-parietal cortex and piriform cortex. The neuroanatomically specific changes in expression of the potassium channel subunits may directly influence neuronal excitability as well as the functions of G-protein-coupled neurotransmitter receptors.

Animals↗

Secretin activates visceral brain regions in the rat including areas abnormal in autism.

1. The aim of this study was to determine whether central networks are involved in the presumptive behavioral and autonomic regulatory actions of secretin, a gut hormone that has been reported to have ameliorative effects in autistic children. 2. Central neural responses monitored by regional c-fos gene expression were examined in response to intracerebroventricular secretin injection in awake, freely-moving Sprague-Dawley rats. Tissue sections were incubated in an antibody to the c-fos gene product, Fos, and processed immunohistochemically. 3. Qualitative differences in Fos immunoreactivity in stress adaptation and visceral representation areas of the brain were observed between secretin- and vehicle-infused age-matched pairs (n = 4 pairs). Secretin-activated regions include the area postrema, dorsal motor nucleus, medial region of the nucleus of the solitary tract and its relay station in the lateral tegmentum, locus ceruleus, ventral periaqueductal gray, periventricular thalamic nucleus, paraventricular hypothalamus magnocellularis, medial and central amygdala, lateral septal complex as well as ependymal and subependymal nuclei lining the third ventricle. Specific areas of the cerebral cortex were heavily labeled in secretin-treated rats, as compared to controls: the medial bank of the anterior prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, the piriform cortex. and the anterior olfactory nucleus. Secretin attenuated Fos immunoreactivity in the dorsal periaqueductal gray, intralaminar thalamus, medial parvicellular compartment of the hypothalamus, supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus, lateral amygdala, motor cortex, and the somatosensory and association areas of the parietal cortex. 4. Secretin alters the activity of structures involved in behavioral conditioning of stress adaptation and visceral reflex reactions. This study predicts a possible cellular mechanism, activation of third ventricular ependymal and subependymal cells, as well as central regulatory actions of secretin. The physiological effects of secretin on behavioral, endocrine, autonomic and sensory neuronal activation patterns, together, contribute to central c-fos activation. Secretin alters the activity of structures involved in behavioral conditioning of stress adaptation and visceral reflex reactions. This study predicts a possible cellular mechanism, activation of third ventricular ependymal and subependymal cells, and central regulatory actions of secretin. The physiological effects of secretin on behavioral, endocrine, autonomic and sensory neuronal activation patterns, together, contribute to central c-fos activation. These findings mandate further investigation of secretin as a brain/gut stress regulatory hormone.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Gene expression of GLUT3 glucose transporter regulated by glucose in vivo in mouse brain and in vitro in neuronal cell cultures from rat embryos.

This study was designed to determine whether glucose regulates the gene expression of glucose transporter GLUT3 in neurons. We examined the regulation of GLUT3 mRNA by glucose in vivo in mouse brain and in vitro by using neuronal cultures from rat embryos. Hypoglycaemia (< 30 mg/dl), produced by 72 h of starvation, increased GLUT3 mRNA in mouse brain by 2-fold. Hybridization studies in situ demonstrated that hypoglycaemia-induced increases in GLUT3 mRNA expression were observed selectively in brain regions including the hippocampus, dentate gyrus, cerebral cortex and piriform cortex, but not the cerebellum. Primary neuronal cultures from rat embryos deprived of glucose for 48 h also showed an increase (4-fold over control) in GLUT3 mRNA, indicating that glucose can directly regulate expression of GLUT3 mRNA. In contrast with hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia produced by streptozotocin did not alter the expression of GLUT3 mRNA. We also confirmed previous findings that hypoglycaemia increases GLUT1 mRNA expression in brain. The increase in GLUT1 expression was probably limited to the blood-brain barrier in vivo, since GLUT1 mRNA could not be detected in neurons of the mouse cerebrum. Thus we conclude that up-regulation of neuronal GLUT3 in response to glucose starvation represents a protective mechanism against energy depletion in neurons.

Animals↗

Origin of the cholecystokinin-containing fibers in the rat caudatoputamen.

Large Amounts of cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK) are present in the rat caudatoputamen. The peptide occurs in axons and nerve endings but not in perikarya. The origin of CCK in the caudatoputamen was investigated with the use of immunocytochemistry and a radioimmunoassay specific for CCK. Although a small amount of CCK (approximately 30 percent) originates in the amygdaloid complex, the bulk of the peptide (approximately 70 percent) occurs in processes of neurons located ventral to the caudatoputamen, that is, the claustrum or the piriform cortex. The claustrum and piriform cortex receive inputs from various cortical areas and the olfactory system, respectively, and may process information and relay it to the caudatoputamen. Thus CCK may by the transmitter in the final common pathway linking various cortical areas and the olfactory system to the caudatoputamen.

Amygdala↗

Binge ethanol exposure in adult rats causes necrotic cell death.

BACKGROUND: Although alcoholics show neurodegeneration after decades of drinking, recent studies with an animal model of binge drinking have found corticolimbic damage after as few as four days. Neurodegeneration can occur through apoptotic or necrotic mechanisms. The goal of this research is to characterize the time course of binge ethanol-induced neurodegeneration and to identify apoptotic or necrotic characteristics of this neurodegeneration. METHODS: Histologic methods (e.g., amino cupric silver staining, Fluoro-Jade B, hematoxylin and eosin, transmission electron microscopy) were used to quantify the time course of degeneration and to characterize the ultrastructural changes that occur with binge ethanol-induced neurodegeneration. RESULTS: After 2 days of binge ethanol, significant damage was evident in the olfactory bulb. After 4 days of binge ethanol, there was significant damage in the agranular insular cortex, anterior piriform cortex, perirhinal cortex, lateral entorhinal cortex, and the temporal dentate gyrus. Ultrastructural examination revealed shrunken soma, vacuolated cytoplasm, pyknotic nucleus, and irregularly clumped chromatin consistent with dark cell degeneration, a form of necrotic neuronal death. CONCLUSIONS: Binge drinking causes necrotic neurodegeneration after 2 days of exposure and increased damage after 4 days but does not increase during withdrawal. These studies indicate that binge drinking induced neurodegeneration is necrotic and occurs during ethanol intoxication and not as a result of ethanol withdrawal.

Aging↗

The amygdala: historical and functional analysis.

The amygdala, part of the limbic system, is a small collection of neurons located in the ventral temporal lobe, and can be divided into two morphologically and functionally distinct nuclei - the corticomedial, a phylogenetically old group, and the basolateral, a phylogenetically more recent group. Both divisions of the amygdala have extensive interconnections with the hypothalamus, the corticomedial nucleus via the stria terminalis and the basolateral nucleus via the ventral amygdalohypothalamic pathway. The amygdala receives input from the orbital frontal cortex, the piriform cortex, the hypothalamus, the thalamus, and all sensory modalities as well as from the other structures of the limbic system. Early theories positing strictly emotional, olfactory, or visceral functions for the amygdala are at best incomplete. An intact amygdala seems to be essential for the successful performance of behavior patterns such as instinctive food getting and instinctive defensive reactions that are necessary for the survival of the individual organism and the species. Ablation of the amygdala produces many behavioral deficits that center around the inability to integrate changes in reinforcement contigencies into new behavior patterns.

Amygdala↗

Autoradiographic localization of adenosine receptors in rat brain using [3H]cyclohexyladenosine.

Adenosine (A1) receptor binding sites have been localized in rat brain by an in vitro light microscopic autoradiographic method. The binding of [3H]N6-cyclohexyladenosine to slide-mounted rat brain tissue sections has the characteristics of A1 receptors. It is saturable with high affinity and has appropriate pharmacology and stereospecificity. The highest densities of adenosine receptors occur in the molecular layer of the cerebellum, the molecular and polymorphic layers of the hippocampus and dentate gyrus, the medial geniculate body, certain thalamic nuclei, and the lateral septum. High densities also are observed in certain layers of the cerebral cortex, the piriform cortex, the caudate-putamen, the nucleus accumbens, and the granule cell layer of the cerebellum. Most white matter areas, as well as certain gray matter areas, such as the hypothalamus, have negligible receptor concentrations. These localizations suggest possible central nervous system sites of action of adenosine.

Adenosine↗

Localization of thioredoxin in the rat brain and functional implications.

The immunoreactivity for thioredoxin, which catalyzes protein disulfide reductions, has previously been shown to exist in nerve cells and their axons. Here we demonstrate the localization of thioredoxin mRNA as revealed by in situ hybridization in the rat brain. The gene is expressed in nerve cells of a variety of brain regions, for example, the cerebral cortex, the piriform cortex, the medial preoptic area, the CA3/CA4 region of the hippocampal formation, the dentate gyrus, the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus, the arcuate nucleus, the substantia nigra pars compacta, the locus coeruleus, the ependyma of the 4th ventricle, and the epithelial cells of the choroid plexus. This distribution implicates an important function in nerve cell metabolism, especially in regions with high energy demands and indicates a role of the choroid plexus in nerve cell protection from environmental influences. It was found that after mechanical injury induced by partial unilateral hemitransection the thioredoxin mRNA expression is upregulated in the lesioned area and spreads to the cortical hemispheres at the lesioned level. This induction suggests a function of thioredoxin in the regeneration machinery of the brain following mechanical injury and oxidative stress.

Animals↗

Gene expression during ethanol withdrawal.

The expression of the proteins (C-FOS and C-JUN) encoded by the immediate early genes c-fos and c-jun was investigated in the brains of rats undergoing ethanol withdrawal. Both proteins were induced in the cerebral cortex, the piriform cortex, the olfactory bulb, the inferior colliculus, the granular cell layer of the cerebellum and in the brain stem, but only C-JUN was induced in the hippocampus of animals undergoing withdrawal without overt seizures. C-FOS was detected in the hippocampus only in animals with overt seizures. Maximal C-FOS expression occurred 15 hr after withdrawal while C-JUN was maximal at 24 hr. Gel-shift assays indicated the formation of AP-1 binding factors in nuclear extracts of the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum 15 and 17 hr after withdrawal. These data reveal a complex pattern of immediate early gene expression during ethanol withdrawal, which may be associated with changes in neuronal plasticity underlying phenomena such as withdrawal kindling.

Animals↗

The distribution of nitric oxide synthase-I and NADPH-diaphorase containing neurons in the cerebral cortex of different strains of mice and its association with learning and memory.

We investigated the distribution of nitric oxide synthase-I (NOS-I) containing neurons within the neocortex of inbred mice belonging to the Balb/c, NMRI and DBA/2 strains which differ in learning and memory performance. The NOS-I positive neurons were detected immunohistochemically with antibodies against NOS-I and enzyme histochemically using their NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d) activity. The qualitative and quantitative evaluation of cortical NADPH-d and NOS-I containing neurons revealed that more than 95% of these cells contained both enzymes. Therefore, we combined the NADPH-d with the WFA-staining to evaluate and parcellate at one section. The specific differences in learning and memory tasks of the three mouse strains have been tested in previous studies. Our investigation test the hypothesis that differences in various aspects of eight-arm radial maze learning are associated with differences in the density of NOS-I positive neurons in cytoarchitectonically and functionally identified cortical areas. We found an increased density of NADPH-d neurons within the whole neocortex in the DBA/2 strain, which reached a lower learning score than the Balb/c and NMRI strains. Significantly higher densities of NADPH-d neurons appeared in the areas of the gustatory cortex, the piriform cortex, the entorhinal cortex and in area 1 of the temporal cortex in DBA/2 mice. A negative correlation exists between the learning scores and the number of NADPH-d positive neurons. If NOS-I activity influences spatial learning as determined in the eight-arm radial maze, the areas with strongly elevated NADPH-d positive neurons may demarcate task-related cortical areas affected in mice with a reduced learning capacity.

Animals↗

Beta-frequency (15-35 Hz) electroencephalogram activities elicited by toluene and electrical stimulation in the behaving rat.

Bursts of beta-frequency (15-35 Hz) electroencephalogram activity occur in the olfactory system during odour sampling, but their mode of propagation within the olfactory system and potential contribution to the mechanisms of learning and memory are unclear. We have elicited large-amplitude beta activity in the rat olfactory system by applying noxious olfactory stimuli (toluene), and have monitored the bursts via chronically-implanted electrodes. Following exposure to toluene, coherent bursts with a peak frequency of 19.8 +/- 0.9 Hz were observed in the olfactory bulb, piriform cortex, entorhinal cortex and dentate gyrus. The timing of the bursts and the phases of electroencephalogram cross-spectra indicate that beta bursts propagate in a caudal direction from the olfactory bulb to the entorhinal cortex. The time delays between peaks of bursts in these structures were similar to latency differences for field potentials evoked by olfactory bulb or piriform cortex test-pulses. Peaks of burst cycles in the dentate region, however, were observed just prior to those in the entorhinal cortex. Surprisingly, power in toluene-induced beta-frequency oscillations was not increased following long-term potentiation induced by tetanic stimulation of the olfactory bulb, piriform cortex and entorhinal cortex. The activity of local inhibitory mechanisms may therefore counteract the effects of synaptic enhancements in afferent pathways during beta bursts. Low-frequency electrical stimulation of the piriform cortex was most effective in inducing coherent oscillatory responses in the entorhinal cortex and dentate gyrus at stimulation frequencies between 12 and 16 Hz. The results show that repetitive polysynaptic volleys at frequencies in the beta band induced by either toluene or electrical stimulation are transmitted readily within the olfactory system. The propagation of neural activity within this frequency range may therefore contribute to the transmission of olfactory signals to the hippocampal formation, particularly for those odours which induce high-amplitude bursts of beta activity.

Algorithms↗

Posterior piriform and perirhinal cortex relay seizures evoked from the area tempestas: role of excitatory and inhibitory amino acid receptors.

The functional relationship between the area tempestas (AT), an epileptogenic site within the deep prepiriform cortex, and the regions in the posterior piriform cortex which are innervated by AT, were studied in the rat. The GABAA receptor agonist, muscimol (390 pmol) was microinjected unilaterally into the posterior piriform cortex and adjacent regions in the same hemisphere from which seizures were evoked by focal application of bicuculline into AT. Pretreatment with muscimol into either the ventral posterior piriform cortex or perirhinal cortex, protected against the bilateral clonic seizures evoked from the ipsilateral AT. No seizure protection was obtained when muscimol was placed into adjacent areas of amygdala, entorhinal cortex, neocortex and ventral hippocampus. Seizure protection was also obtained when kynurenic acid, but not 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid, was microinjected into the ventral posterior piriform cortex, suggesting that glutamate transmission mediated via non-N-methyl-D-aspartate (non-NMDA) receptors is required for the relay of seizure discharge through this region. Our data indicate that a specific region of the temporal cortex, the posterior piriform and perirhinal area, functions as a critical link in the propagation of limbic seizures evoked from AT.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

The role of metabotropic glutamate receptors and cortical adaptation in habituation of odor-guided behavior.

Decreases in behavioral investigation of novel stimuli over time may be mediated by a variety of factors including changes in attention, internal state, and motivation. Sensory cortical adaptation, a decrease in sensory cortical responsiveness over prolonged stimulation, may also play a role. In olfaction, metabotropic glutamate receptors on cortical afferent pre-synaptic terminals have been shown to underlie both cortical sensory adaptation and habituation of odor-evoked reflexes. The present experiment examined whether blockade of sensory cortical adaptation through bilateral infusion of the group III metabotropic glutamate receptor antagonist cyclopropyl-4-phosphonophenylglycine (CPPG) into the anterior piriform cortex could reduce habituation of a more complex odor-driven behavior such as investigation of a scented object or a conspecific. The results demonstrate that time spent investigating a scented jar, or a conspecific, decreases over the course of a continuous 10 minute trial. Acute infusion of CPPG bilaterally into the anterior piriform cortex significantly enhanced the time spent investigating the scented jar compared to investigation time in control rats, without affecting overall behavioral activity levels. Infusions into the brain outside of the piriform cortex were without effect. CPPG infusion into the piriform cortex also produced an enhancement of time spent investigating a conspecific, although this effect was not significant.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Dual olfactory representation in the rat thalamus: an anatomical and electrophysiological study.

A combination of electrophysiological and anatomical techniques was used to determine the sites of termination of olfactory projections to the thalamus and the distribution of the cells of origin of these projections within the olfactory cortex. Following electrical stimulation of the olfactory bulb, short-latency unit responses were recorded not only in the central segment of the mediodorsal thalamic nucleus but also in the ventral and anterior parts of the submedial thalamic nucleus. Responses were not obtained in the ventral or lateral parts of the mediodorsal nucleus, in the dorsal part of the submedial nucleus, or in the intralaminar nuclei between the mediodorsal and submedial nuclei. The cells of origin of the projection were identified by making injections of horseradish peroxidase conjugated to wheat germ agglutinin (HRP WGA) into the thalamus and examining the olfactory cortex for retrogradely labeled cells. Following injections into the mediodorsal nucleus, labeled cells were found in the polymorphic cell zone deep to the olfactory tubercle, in the ventral endopiriform nucleus deep to the piriform cortex, and in an equivalent position deep to the periamygdaloid and lateral entorhinal cortices. After injections into the submedial nucleus, a smaller number of labeled cells were found in similar locations, except that they were restricted to the rostral olfactory cortical areas and were not found deep to the lateral part of the piriform cortex. Retrogradely labeled cells and anterogradely labeled axons were also found in the lateral orbital and ventral agranular insular areas of the prefrontal cortex with injections into the mediodorsal nucleus, and in the ventrolateral orbital area with injections into the submedial nucleus. Anterograde tracing experiments, using the autoradiographic method, have confirmed these results. Injections of 3H-leucine deep to the junction between the anterior piriform cortex and the olfactory tubercle label axons in both the central segment of the mediodorsal nucleus and the ventral part of the submedial nucleus, while injections deep to the posterior piriform cortex label axons in the mediodorsal nucleus only. Within the mediodorsal nucleus, the projection also appears to be organized so that fibers which arise more rostrally terminate ventrolaterally in the central segment, while fibers which arise more caudally terminate more dorsomedially. These results indicate that there is a substantial and possibly dual thalamocortical mechanism available for processing of olfactory stimuli.

Animals↗

Opiate and muscarinic ligand binding in five limbic areas after bilateral olfactory bulbectomy.

Bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (BBX) in mice leads to a variety of neutrochemical changes in 5 limbic areas associated with the bulbs. Within one week after BBX, opiate ligand binding declined by 73% in the amygdala, rose by 82% in the hypothalamus and then returned to sham levels by 4 weeks in both areas. Opiate binding also declined by 47% in the olfactory tubercle and to essentially zero in the piriform cortex and the olfactory peduncle after 16 weeks. Muscarinic cholinergic binding declined in the amygdala and hypothalamus at 16 weeks after BBX, but reductions in muscarinic binding were observed in the piriform cortex and the olfactory peduncle by two weeks postsurgery. Muscarinic binding in the olfactory tubercle was unaffected by BBX, as was binding of beta-adrenergic and benzodiazepine ligands in the limbic areas. Binding of [3H]spiroperidol rose 61% in the olfactory tubercle two weeks after surgery and then declined to normal levels. Choline acetyltransferase activity rose by 64% within one week after BBX in the piriform cortex and remained elevated throughout the study. Activity of this enzyme also rose in the olfactory peduncle and the olfactory tubercle after surgery. BBX had only moderate effects on glutamic acid decarboxylase in the limbic areas, and enzyme activity increased 25% in the olfactory tubercle and the piriform cortex 4 weeks after BBX. BBX also resulted in a moderate decrease (22%) in DOPA decarboxylase activity in the olfactory tubercle two weeks after BBX. The implications of these neurochemical changes are discussed in terms of what is known about bulb-limbic system connections.

Amygdala↗

A non-thalamic olfactory pathway to the orbital gyrus in the cat.

Extracellular unit responses were recorded from the cortical layer of the orbital gyrus following stimulation of the piriform cortex fronting on that gyrus. The responses were obtained only from the dorsal bank of the rhinal sulcus. The responses were presynaptic axon and postsynaptic soma spikes with latencies of about 4 and 4.8 msec, respectively. When the dorsal bank of the rhinal sulcus was stimulated, antidromic responses with a latency of about 4.4 msec were recorded from the superficial and deep soma layers of the piriform cortex. Following injections of horseradish peroxidase into the dorsal bank of the rhinal sulcus, labeled cells were found in the piriform cortex, the lateral, basolateral and central amygdaloid nuclei, and the prelimbic area. These results indicate that the piriform cortex projects directly to part of the orbital gyrus by way of association fiber pathways.

Animals↗