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Convergence of ampullar and macular inputs on vestibular nuclei unit of the rat.

181 vestibular nucleus neurons were examined for their responsiveness to rotation about the vertical axis and static tilts in roll and pitch planes in the rat. 68 of these units were sensitive to rotation and tilts (canal-otolith cells). In other words, 41.0% of the neurons responded to rotation (68/166). There was no significant difference in percentage of canal-otolith cells in type I and II neurons, which were 48.6% and 37.0% respectively. Vertical axis rotation when the head was tilted produced a simultaneous stimulation of the canal and otoliths. Using this stimulus method, the bias effect was observed in 72.5% of the canal-otolith cells (29/40). Furthermore, since vertical axis rotation with the head tilted elicited vertical canal responses, the rate of ampullary convergence was estimated by analysing response profiles obtained such rotations. The results obtained in the rat were compared with those in other species.

Animals↗

[Development and cell differentiation of the vestibulocochlear nuclei in cattle].

Based upon light- and electron microscopic examinations (50 embryos ranging from 1 to 53 cm crown-rump-length, CRL) the origin of the nuclei of the cranial nerve VIII is described with special regard to neurogenesis. The ventricular matrix lateral to the sulcus limitans represents the alar plate with its sensory areas. Up to 2.7 cm CRL migrating neurons from the vestibular nuclei can be detected, the bigger neuronal elements of which are the early formed lateral vestibular nucleus. From 6.7 cm CRL onward all nuclear groups of the vestibular nerve can be identified. At 1 cm CRL the recess plate represents the primordium of the cochlear nuclear complex. Identification of the definitive nuclei is possible at 3.8 cm CRL. Subsequently from 7.6 cm CRL onward the process of lamination can be observed in the dorsal cochlear nucleus. Due to the proceeding maturation the nuclei of the cranial nerve VIII correspond at 53 cm CRL topographically and cytologically to the characteristics of adult animals. Electron microscopic examinations are documenting characteristic features of cytogenesis of sensory neurons (vestibular nucleus) during early embryonic stages (2.5 cm and 3.6 cm CRL). At 2.5 cm CRL the elements exhibiting features of migrating neurons are predominating, whereas at 3.6 cm CRL an increased differentiation is typical for neurons localized in their ultimate position. At this stage synapses can be identified for the first time.

Animals↗

Responses of locus coeruleus neurons to convergent neck and vestibular inputs.

The locus coeruleus (LC) complex, located in the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum, is composed of noradrenergic and self-inhibitory adrenoceptive neurons, which project to broad regions of the brain, including the spinal cord. Experiments were performed in decerebrate cats to find out whether units which had the physiological characteristics of noradrenergic neurons (i.e., a slow and regular resting discharge and a typical response to a noxious stimulus consisting of a short burst of excitation followed by a silent period), received a convergent input from both labyrinth and neck receptors. Among 90 LC-complex units, 13 of which could be identified antidromically as coeruleospinal (CS) neurons following electrical stimulation of the spinal cord at T12-L1, 52 (57.8%) responded to roll tilt of the animal and neck rotation at 0.15 Hz, +/- 10 degrees. The responses were particularly related to the extreme animal and neck displacements. Most of these convergent neurons (43/52, i.e., 82.7%) showed reciprocal ('out of phase') responses to the two inputs, while only a few units (9/52, i.e., 17.3%) showed parallel ('in phase') responses. Moreover, the majority of the 'out of phase' units showed an increased discharge during side-up animal tilt and side-down neck rotation. These predominant response patterns were just opposite to those of the vestibulospinal (VS) neurons projecting to the same segments of the spinal cord. The response characteristics of the LC-complex neurons to combined neck and vestibular inputs elicited during head rotation usually corresponded to those predicted by a vectorial summation of the individual neck and labyrinth responses, as shown for the VS neurons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Acid-sensing ionic channels in the rat vestibular endorgans and ganglia.

Acid-sensing ionic channels (ASICs) are members of the epithelial Na+ channel/degenerin (ENaC/DEG) superfamily. ASICs are widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous system. They have been implicated in synaptic transmission, pain perception, and the mechanoreception in peripheral tissues. Our objective was to characterize proton-gated currents mediated by ASICs and to determine their immunolocation in the rat vestibular periphery. Voltage clamp of cultured afferent neurons from P7 to P10 rats showed a proton-gated current with rapid activation and complete desensitization, which was carried almost exclusively by sodium ions. The current response to protons (H+) has a pH0.5 of 6.2. This current was reversibly decreased by amiloride, gadolinium, lead, acetylsalicylic acid, and enhanced by FMRFamide and zinc, and negatively modulated by raising the extracellular calcium concentration. Functional expression of the current was correlated with smaller-capacitance neurons. Acidification of the extracellular pH generated action potentials in vestibular neurons, suggesting a functional role of ASICs in their excitability. Immunoreactivity to ASIC1a and ASIC2a subunits was found in small vestibular ganglion neurons and afferent fibers that run throughout the macula utricle and crista stroma. ASIC2b, ASIC3, and ASIC4 were expressed to a lesser degree in vestibular ganglion neurons. The ASIC1b subunit was not detected in the vestibular endorgans. No acid-pH-sensitive currents or ASIC immunoreactivity was found in hair cells. Our results indicate that proton-gated current is carried through ASICs and that ionic current activated by H+ contributes to shape the vestibular afferent neurons' response to its synaptic input.

Action Potentials↗

Processing of spatial information by floccular and non-floccular target neurons in the alert cat.

In five alert chronically-prepared cats we studied the response to sinusoidal 3-D whole body rotation of well-isolated vestibular nucleus neurons which were tested for monosynaptic input from the vestibular labyrinth, direct projection to the oculomotor nucleus and, in some cases, inhibition from cerebellar flocculus stimulation. Neurons directly inhibited by flocculus stimulation had significantly greater horizontal-vertical semicircular canal signal convergence than did neurons not inhibited by flocculus stimulation.

Animals↗

Functional characteristics of the input-output correlation in the vestibular nuclear complex of the frog.

Experiments on perfused frog brains were used to record focal and intracellular potentials of neurons in the vestibular nuclear complex produced in response to stimulation of the anterior branch of the ipsilateral vestibular nerve and the spinal cord. Stimulation of the vestibular nerve evoked mono- and polysynaptic EPSP with orthodromic action potentials. These were accompanied by recordings of antidromic activation (with a mean latent period of 0.75 sec) of neurons which send their axons into the labyrinth. Antidromic action potentials from vestibular neurons arose with latent periods of the order of 1.43 msec in response to stimulation of the cervical thickening and 2.19 msec in response to stimulation of the lumbar thickening of the spinal cord. Bursts from the spinal cord often evoked EPSP with orthodromic action potentials in vestibular neurons. The characteristics of the functional correlation between the vestibular input and the vestibulospinal system are discussed.

Animals↗

Spatiotemporal characteristics of central otolith neurons.

PURPOSE: To review the spatiotemporal behaviours of central otolith neurons in decerebrate animals. DATA SOURCES: Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong. DATA EXTRACTION: Results of key research findings from 1992 to 1997. RESULTS: With constant velocity colckwise (CW) and counterclockwise (CCW) off-vertical axis rotations as stimuli to the otolith organs, neurons in the vestibular nuclei and medullary reticular formation showed characteristic spatiotemporal behavious. One-dimensional neurons showed symmetric and stable bidirectional response sensitivities (delta) to change in velocity while two-dimensional neurons showed asymmetric and variable delta to velocity. This CW-CCW asymmetry to bidirectional rotations may provide directional coding in the modulation of neural signals. Vestibular nuclear neurons also displayed distinct spontaneous discharge patterns at the stationary and earth-horizontal position, indicating that one- and two-dimensional neurons belong to physiologically distinct etities. These spatiotemporal behavious of the vestibular nuclear neurons were also shown to be precisely controlled by imputs from the vestibulocerebellum and/or bilateral otoliths. In both the vestibular nucleus and the reticular formation, the best response orientations of one-dimensional neurons and the orientations of the maximum response vector of two-dimensional neurons were found to point in all directions close to the horizontal plane, indicating that all head orientations on this plane are encoded across an ensemble of neurons. CONCLUSION: Otolith-evoked behaviours of the one-dimensional and two-dimensional neurons constitute an important element for the recognition of the direction and orientation of head motion in space.

Animals↗

Effects of neurotrophin and neurotrophin receptor disruption on the afferent inner ear innervation.

Two neurotrophins and their two receptors appear to regulate the survival of vestibular and cochlear neurons in the developing ear. Mice lacking either brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or its associated receptor, Trk B, show a severe reduction in the number of vestibular neurons and a loss of all innervation to the semicircular canals. Mice lacking NT-3 or its receptor, Trk C, show a severe reduction of spiral neurons in the basal turn of the cochlea. Mice lacking both BDNF and NT-3 or Trk B and Trk C, reportedly lose all innervation to the inner ear. These two neurotrophins and their associated receptors are necessary for the normal afferent innervation of the inner ear.

Journal Article↗

Effects of neurotrophin and neurotrophin receptor disruption on the afferent inner ear innervation.

Two neurotrophins and their two receptors appear to regulate the survival of vestibular and cochlear neurons in the developing ear. Mice lacking either brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or its associated receptor, Trk B, show a severe reduction in the number of vestibular neurons and a loss of all innervation to the semicircular canals. Mice lacking NT-3 or its receptor, Trk C, show a severe reduction of spiral neurons in the basal turn of the cochlea. Mice lacking both BDNF and NT-3 or Trk B and Trk C, reportedly lose all innervation to the inner ear. These two neurotrophins and their associated receptors are necessary for the normal afferent innervation of the inner ear.

Animals↗

Transcerebellar inhibitory interaction between the bilateral vestibular nuclei and its modulation by cerebellocortical activity.

In decerebrate, unanesthetized cats, the brain stem was longitudinally cut at the midline from its dorsal to ventral surface with the cerebellum kept intact, eliminating neural interactions between the bilateral vestibular nuclei through the brain stem. Extracellular spike potentials of vestibular type I neurons identified by horizontal rotation were distinctly inhibited by contralateral vestibular nerve stimulation. This crossed inhibition was abolished by removal of the medial part of the cerebellum, indicating that the inhibition was mediated through the cerebellum. Neither aspiration of the flocculus on the recording side nor intravenous administration of picrotoxin eliminated transcerebellar crossed inhibition, suggesting that it is mediated through the cerebellar nuclei. When the fastigial, interposite and dentate nuclei were stimulated, inhibition of vestibular type I neurons was produced only from the contralateral fastigal nucleus. Cerebellocortical stimulation which inhibited fastigial type I neurons suppressed transcerebellar crossed inhibition. Effective sites for suppression of transcerebellar crossed inhibition were localized to lobules VI and VIIa in the vermal cortex on the side of labyrinthine stimulation. Intracellular recordings were made from type I neurons in the medial vestibular nucleus. Stimulation of the contralateral vestibular nerve and the contralateral fastigial nucleus produced IPSPs in these neurons with the shortest latency of 3.8 msec and 1.8 msec, respectively. The difference between these two latency values approximates the shortest latency of spike initiation of fastigial type I neurons in response to vestibular nerve stimulation. It is postulated that transcerebellar crossed inhibition is mediated through the fastigial nucleus on the side of labyrinthine stimulation.

Brain Stem↗

Electrophysiological and HRP studies on feedback loop between inferior olivary nucleus and lateral vestibular nucleus in the cat.

The role of input from the inferior olivary nucleus (IO) of decerebellate cats were studied on the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) neurons which were monosynaptically activated by vestibular nerve stimulation. Out of 168 monosynaptic neurons, test stimuli to the contralateral IO elicited a monosynaptic spike in 43 neurons and an antidromic spike in 9 neurons. Conditioning stimulus applied to the IO preceding vestibular nerve stimulation produced an inhibition of spike generation in 22 other LVN neurons upon the nerve stimulation. When horseradish peroxidase (HRP) was iontophoretically applied into the immediate vicinity of the LVN monosynaptic neurons, HRP-reactive cells were found in the dorsal cap and beta-nucleus of the contralateral IO. These results suggest that the LVN neurons monosynaptically activated by vestibular nerve stimulation receive both excitation and inhibition from the IO.

Action Potentials↗

Rostrocaudal and ventrodorsal change in neuronal cell size in human medial vestibular nucleus.

BACKGROUND: The present paper describes the cytoarchitectonic, morphometric, and three-dimensional characteristics of the human medial vestibular nucleus (MVN). We also studied the regional distribution, in size, of the different neurons and its possible relationship with a functional polarization of the different regions of the nucleus. METHODS: Nine adult human brainstems (30-50 years of age) without neurological problems were used. Specimens were obtained from necropsy and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde and 5% acetic acid in distilled water. After fixation, blocks were washed, dehydrated, and embedded in paraffin and serial sectioned at 20 microns. Sections were stained with formaldehydethionin, dehydrated, cleared in eucalyptol, and mounted with Eukitt. MVN neurons were drawn with the aid of a camera lucida at 200-micron intervals at 390 x magnification. Serial 50-micron frozen sections were used to determine the volume of the MVN. The three-dimensional reconstruction of MVN was accomplished with a drawing program in a Macinthosh II computer and an AVS on a Stardent workstation computer. RESULTS: In the three-dimensional reconstruction, the human MVN shows a pyramidal form. The base of this pyramid constitutes the rostral limit, and its vertex forms the caudal border of the MVN. The estimated volume is 30.44 +/- 0.85 mm3, with a neuronal population of 127,737 cells and 4,136 neurons/mm3 in density. The average neuronal cross-section changes from one minimum at caudal level (212.46 +/- 2.04 microns 2) to one maximum at rostral level (491.47 +/- 5.08 microns 2). Four cell types, small (< 200 microns 2), medium (200-500 microns 2), large (500-1000 microns 2), and giant (> 1,000 microns 2) cells, were observed. Medium cells constitute 66%, small cells 18%, and large and giant cells 15% and 1% of the neuronal population. CONCLUSIONS: The MVN shows a variation in neuronal size, and it has the highest neuronal density of all the human vestibular nuclei. Large cells predominate in rostral regions of the MVN, with significant differences in the area and diameter of the cells among rostral, central, and caudal regions. Furthermore, the largest cells are grouped in the ventrolateral part of the nucleus, close to its boundaries with the inferior and the lateral vestibular nuclei. The morphological polarization, with respect to the neuronal size of the MVN, can be related to a functional polarization of rostral and caudal regions of this nucleus.

Adult↗