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Evidence for a direct projection from the postrhinal cortex to the subiculum in the rat.

Behavioral data indicate that three of the areas which form the parahippocampal region in the rat, i.e., the entorhinal, perirhinal, and postrhinal cortices, have different, although related functions that also differ from those of the hippocampal formation. These functional differences might be related to differences in connectivity, on the one hand with parts of the association cortex, and on the other with the hippocampal formation. In a previous study, we showed the existence of both a direct and an indirect projection from the perirhinal cortex to areas CA1 and subiculum of the hippocampus. Here we present the result of a second study, demonstrating a similarly organized projection from the postrhinal cortex to the subiculum, comprising both a direct and an indirect route. Electrical stimulation of the postrhinal cortex in vivo evoked field potentials throughout the subiculum and the dentate gyrus. Current source density analysis in both the subiculum and dentate gyrus revealed the presence of sink-source pairs, indicative of a synaptic termination. Based on comparison with the sink-source pairs found after stimulation of the medial entorhinal cortex, we conclude that the connection between the postrhinal cortex and the dentate gyrus most likely is formed by a polysynaptic pathway mediated via the medial entorhinal cortex, while the pathway from the postrhinal cortex to the subiculum is likely monosynaptic. In order to substantiate these findings, we carried out several tracer experiments. Anterograde tracer injections in the postrhinal cortex resulted in labeled fibers in limited parts of the subiculum, but no anatomical evidence for a projection of the postrhinal cortex to the dentate gyrus was found. Additional retrograde tracer injections in the subiculum also showed evidence for a direct postrhinal-to-subiculum projection with a strong topological organization. Based on these combined anatomical and electrophysiological data, we conclude that the postrhinal cortex indeed can reach the subiculum via both a direct and an indirect pathway.

Action Potentials↗

Morphine and naloxone effects on olfactory evoked electrographic activity in the amygdala.

This research tested morphine and naloxone effects on evoked EEG and unit activity in 3 opiate-relevant brain areas in response to electrical stimulation of the olfactory bulb in acute, unanesthesized rat preparations. Stimulation evoked clear EEG responses in the amygdala (Amyg) and sometimes in the other areas (caudate and central grey); morphine (15 mg/kg) depressed the Amyg response in some rats, but enhanced it in others, and naloxone usually reversed both kinds of effect. Stimulation caused excitatory unit impulse reponses in the Amyg, and morphine unexpectedly increased the magnitude of the stimulus-evoked excitation; naloxone reversed this enhancement. In control rats, naloxone often decreased the Amyg evoked response. Stimulus-evoked increases in unit activity in the caudate and central grey, when they did occur, were depressed by morphine, but naxoxone had no consistent reversing effect. Both the EEG and unit data indicate that morphine excites, or disinhibits, certain neurons associated with the olfactory-Amyg pathway. There was also some evidence that this pathway contains endorphinergic elements.

Amygdala↗

Conscious and unconscious sensory inflows allow effective control of the functions of the human brain and heart at the initial ageing stage.

The authors of the present article based their assumption on the concept that the sensory systems are the "windows to the brain" through which various functions of the human organism can be controlled. Comprehension of the fundamental mechanisms of the optimization of the sensory systems, brain, and cardiac functions has increased based on the prolonged sensory flows using conscious and unconscious aromatherapy and multimodal sensory activation. Sensory flow evoked stable systemic responses, including adaptive alteration of psycho-emotional state, attention, memory, sensorimotor reactions, intersensory interaction, visual information processing, statokinetic stability, and autonomic heart rhythm control. The efficacy and expediency of the use of sensory flow for non-medicinal correction of vital functions of the human organism at the initial stages of ageing was revealed.

Afferent Pathways↗

An autoradiographic study of the efferent connections of the preoptic region in the rat.

The normal morphology of the rat preoptic region has been briefly described on the basis of Nissl- and silver-stained preparations and its efferent connections have been studied autoradiographically in over 50 rat brains with single small injections of 3H-proline, or various mixtures of 3H-proline, 3H-leucine, and 3H-lysine. Injections in the anteroventral part of the lateral preoptic area labeled fibers projecting through, and perhaps to, the anterior and lateral hypothalamic areas and ending in the supramammillary region, and ventral fiber lamina of the mammillary complex; other labeled fibers ended in the periventricular hypothalamic gray and the internal lamina of the median eminence. The posteromedial lateral preoptic area projects to the same regions, as well as to the medial septal-diagonal band complex, and to the lateral habenula through the stria medullaris. Injections of the posterolateral lateral preoptic area labeled each of the above fiber systems as well as fibers to the main olfactory bulb, anterior olfactory nucleus and taenia tecta. Other fibers coursed over the genu of the corpus callosum, through the stria terminalis and ansa peduncularis to the medial, cortical and basal amygdaloid nuclei and the anterior amygdaloid area, and through the medial forebrain bundle to the substantia nigra. The transition region between the lateral preoptic and lateral hypothalamic areas at the level of the supraoptic nucleus has widespread connections as a whole (a) with the medial septal-diagonal band complex, lateral septum and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, (b) through or to most of the hypothalamus, the substantia nigra, central tegmental field, central gray, superior central nucleus, and the locus coeruleus, (c) through the stria medullaris to the lateral habenula (bilaterally), parataenial, paraventricular, and mediodorsal nuclei of the thalamus, (d) through the stria terminalis and ansa peduncularis to the central, medial and cortical nuclei of the amygdala, and (e) to the main olfactory bulb, anterior olfactory nucleus, cingulate bundle, olfactory tubercle, medial septal-diagonal band complex and the lateral septum.

Amygdala↗

Odorants selectively activate distinct G protein subtypes in olfactory cilia.

Chemoelectrical signal transduction in olfactory neurons appears to involve intracellular reaction cascades mediated by heterotrimeric GTP-binding proteins. In this study attempts were made to identify the G protein subtype(s) in olfactory cilia that are activated by the primary (odorant) signal. Antibodies directed against the alpha subunits of distinct G protein subtypes interfered specifically with second messenger reponses elicited by defined subsets of odorants; odor-induced cAMP-formation was attenuated by Galphas antibodies, whereas Galphao antibodies blocked odor-induced inositol 1,4, 5-trisphosphate (IP3) formation. Activation-dependent photolabeling of Galpha subunits with [alpha-32P]GTP azidoanilide followed by immunoprecipitation using subtype-specific antibodies enabled identification of particular individual G protein subtypes that were activated upon stimulation of isolated olfactory cilia by chemically distinct odorants. For example odorants that elicited a cAMP response resulted in labeling of a Galphas-like protein, whereas odorants that elicited an IP3 response led to the labeling of a Galphao-like protein. Since odorant-induced IP3 formation was also blocked by Gbeta antibodies, activation of olfactory phospholipase C might be mediated by betagamma subunits of a Go-like G protein. These results indicate that different subsets of odorants selectively trigger distinct reaction cascades and provide evidence for dual transduction pathways in olfactory signaling.

Acetates↗

The projection from the parataenial thalamic nucleus, as demonstrated by the Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) method, identifies a subterritorial organization of the ventral striatum.

The thalamic projection to the ventral striatum was examined in the rat by immunohistochemistry after iontophoretic injections of Phaseolus vulgaris-leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) into the parataenial thalamic nucleus. A continuous dense terminal field was observed in the nucleus accumbens and the striatal cell bridges, as well as in the adjoining striatal parts of the olfactory tubercle. These observations provide further evidence of the relevance of the ventral striatal concept.

Animals↗

Structure of the principal olfactory tract.

Although the purpose and importance of the sense of smell in human beings has not been totally clarified, it is one of the principal information channels in macrosmatic animals. It was the first long-distance information system to have appeared in phylogenetic evolution. The objective of this article is to deepen the knowledge of the pathways that join the olfactory epithelium with the cortical olfaction areas, to better understand olfactory dysfunction in human beings. Differential staining and marking techniques were applied to histologic sections obtained from 155 animals of different species, to study the different connections existing among olfactory tract components. Our study of the connections between the olfactory mucosa and the principal olfactory bulb deserves special mention. The distribution of second neuron connections of the olfactory tract with the central nervous system is quite complex and diffuse. This indicates an interrelation between the sense of smell and a multitude of functions. These connections seem to be of different quantitative importance according to species, but qualitatively they exist in both human beings and other macrosmatic animals.

Animals↗

Molecular signals regulating proliferation of stem and progenitor cells in mouse olfactory epithelium.

To understand how signaling molecules regulate the generation of neurons from proliferating stem cells and neuronal progenitors in the developing and regenerating nervous system, we have studied neurogenesis in a model neurogenic epithelium, the olfactory epithelium (OE) of the mouse. Our studies have employed a candidate approach to test signaling molecules of potential importance in regulating neurogenesis and have utilized methods that include tissue culture, in situ hybridization and mouse genetics. Using these approaches, we have identified three distinct stages of stem and transit amplifying progenitor cells in the differentiation pathway of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) and have identified mechanisms by which the development of each of these progenitor cell types is regulated by signals produced both within the OE itself and by its underlying stroma. Our results indicate that regulation of olfactory neurogenesis is critically dependent on multiple signaling molecules from two different polypeptide growth factor superfamilies, the fibroblast growth factors and the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) group. In addition, they indicate that these signaling molecules interact in at least two important ways: first, opposing signals converge on cells at specific developmental stages in the ORN pathway to regulate proliferation and differentiation; and second, these signaling molecules--particularly the TGF-betas and their antagonists--play key roles in feedback loops that regulate the size of progenitor cell pools and thereby neuron number, during development and regeneration.

Animals↗

Organization of the ophidian amygdala: chemosensory pathways to the hypothalamus.

Although recent studies in squamate reptiles have importantly clarified how chemical information is processed in the reptilian brain, how the amygdala relays chemosensory inputs to the hypothalamus to influence chemically guided behaviors is still poorly documented. To identify these chemosensory pathways, the amygdalo-hypothalamic projections, intra-amygdaloid circuitry and afferents from the lateral cortex (LC) to the amygdala were investigated by injecting conjugated dextran-amines into the hypothalamus, amygdala, and LC of garter snakes. The amygdala was divided into olfactory recipient (ventral anterior and external amygdalae), vomeronasal recipient (nucleus sphericus, NS, and medial amygdala, MA), and nonchemosensory (e.g., posterior dorsal ventricular ridge, PDVR, and dorsolateral amygdaloid nucleus, DLA) subdivisions. Rostroventral (LCrv) and dorsocaudal subdivisions of the LC were distinguished. In addition to receiving afferents from the main olfactory bulb, the olfactory amygdala receives afferents from NS and projects to the NS, PDVR, and dorsal hypothalamus. The NS has only a minor projection to the lateral hypothalamus, whereas the MA, which receives afferents from the LCrv and NS, has projections to the ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) and lateral posterior hypothalamic nuclei. Among the nonchemosensory amygdaloid structures, the PDVR receives afferents from the LCrv and the olfactory amygdala and projects to the VMH, whereas DLA receives afferents from the LCrv and NS, and projects to the periventricular hypothalamus. These results substantially clarify the olfactory and vomeronasal tertiary connections and demonstrate that parts of the nonchemosensory amygdala play a major role in relaying chemosensory information to the hypothalamus.

Amygdala↗

Transplantation of nasal olfactory tissue promotes partial recovery in paraplegic adult rats.

Recent reports have highlighted the potential therapeutic role of olfactory ensheathing cells for repair of spinal cord injuries. Previously ensheathing cells collected from the olfactory bulbs within the skull were used. In humans a source of these cells for autologous therapy lies in the nasal mucosa where they accompany the axons of the olfactory neurons. The aim of the present study was to test the therapeutic potential of nasal olfactory ensheathing cells for spinal cord repair. Olfactory ensheathing cells cultured from the olfactory lamina propria or pieces of lamina propria from the olfactory mucosa were transplanted into the transected spinal cord. Three to ten weeks later these animals partially recovered movement of their hind limbs and joints which was abolished by a second spinal cord transection. Control rats, receiving collagen matrix, respiratory lamina propria or culture medium, did not recover hind limb movement. Recovery of movement was associated with recovery of spinal reflex circuitry, assessed using the rate-sensitive depression of the H-reflex from an interosseous muscle. Histological analysis of spinal cords grafted with olfactory tissue demonstrated nerve fibres passing through the transection site, serotonin-positive fibres in the spinal cord distal to the transection site, and retrograde labelling of brainstem raphe and gigantocellularis neurons from injections into the distal cord, indicating regeneration of descending pathways. Thus, olfactory lamina propria transplantation promoted partial restoration of function after relatively short recovery periods. This study is particularly significance because it suggests an accessible source of tissue for autologous grafting in human paraplegia.

Animals↗