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J D Stephenson

Publications and source records attributed to J D Stephenson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Enhancement of latent inhibition by two 5-HT2A receptor antagonists only when given at both pre-exposure and conditioning.

RATIONALE: Clozapine-like atypical antipsychotic drugs, such as olanzapine, risperidone and sertindole, bind most strongly to 5-HT(2A) receptors, which may contribute to their antipsychotic effects. Antipsychotic drugs, such as clozapine and haloperidol, have been found to enhance latent inhibition (LI) in humans and rats. LI is a process of learning to ignore irrelevant stimuli that is disrupted in acute, positive-symptom schizophrenia, and can be modelled in animals. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of two selective 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonists, SR 46,349B and ICI 169,369, on LI, as a test of their antipsychotic potential. METHODS: Doses of the 5-HT(2A) receptor antagonists that were sufficient for receptor blockade were determined in 5-HT behavioural syndrome tests. SR 46,349B and ICI 169,369 were then tested for enhancement of LI and reversal of amphetamine-induced attenuation of LI in a conditioned suppression paradigm. RESULTS: SR 46,349B (0.6-2.4 mg kg(-1) i.p.) and ICI 169,369 (10-40 mg kg(-1) i.p.) antagonised 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP)-induced head twitches and wet dog shakes, which are mediated by 5-HT(2A) receptors, but had no effect on mCPP-induced hypolocomotion, which is mediated by 5-HT(2C) receptors. Neither SR 46,349B (1.2 mg kg(-1) i.p.) nor ICI 169,369 (40 mg kg(-1) i.p) affected 8-hydroxy-2-(di- n-propylamino)tetralin (8-OH-DPAT)-induced forepaw treading, suggesting that they were not in vivo 5-HT(1A) receptor antagonists. SR 46,349B (2.4 mg kg(-1) i.p.) and ICI 169,369 (40 mg kg(-1) i.p.) enhanced LI when given at both the pre-exposure and conditioning stages of the paradigm, but not when given at either pre-exposure or conditioning only. Both drugs also reversed the disruption of LI induced by D-amphetamine (1 mg kg(-1) i.p.). CONCLUSIONS: The profile of SR 46,349B and ICI 169,369 in LI differs from that of clozapine and haloperidol in LI, which both enhance LI when given only at the conditioning stage of the paradigm.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗

Latent inhibition is attenuated by noise and partially restored by a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist.

Latent inhibition (LI) is a model of attention, which is a cognitive process that can be modulated by stressors such as chronic intermittent broadband noise, e.g. caused by building work, which is particularly stressful to rats. The aim of this study was to analyse the effect of chronic noise stress, caused by a building project, on LI, and its interaction with SR 46,349B, a 5-HT2A receptor antagonist. Control groups from LI experiments conducted during periods of chronic intermittent noise were compared with control groups from LI experiments conducted in normal quiet conditions. The interaction of SR 46,349B with the effects of chronic noise stress was then tested. Chronic intermittent noise attenuated LI, an effect which was partially reversed by SR 46,349B, 2.4 mg/kg i.p. Attenuation of LI by chronic intermittent noise and reversal of this effect by SR 46,349B support suggestions that stress can modulate attention and that 5-HT2A receptors are involved in mediating the effects of chronic stress.

Animals↗

Changes in sensitivity of cholinoceptors and adrenoceptors during transhemispheric cortical reorganisation in rat SmI.

The reorganisation of primary somatosensory cortex that occurs after lesioning the corresponding cortex of the contralateral hemisphere in rat has been termed, 'transhemispheric cortical reorganisation'. Cholinergic and noradrenergic innervations are hypothesized to be involved in cortical plasticity. The present study investigated the change in responses of somatosensory neurones in the hindpaw representation area to muscarinic cholinoceptor and beta-adrenoceptor receptor stimulation, by iontophoretic application of acetylcholine, noradrenaline, propranolol and atropine, during the process of transhemispheric cortical reorganization at 3-4 days and at 20-21 days after lesioning the corresponding area in the contralateral hemisphere. Most neurones in control rats showed excitatory atropine-sensitive responses to acetylcholine, and inhibitory propranolol-sensitive responses to noradrenaline. A marked reduction in neurones exhibiting muscarinic responses (from 69% to 22%) and beta-noradrenoceptor-mediated responses (from 62% to 24%) were seen in rats 3-4 days post lesion. The proportion of neurones responding had recovered by 3 weeks but the direction of the responses had changed with muscarinic response becoming predominantly inhibitory and beta-noradrenoceptor responses predominantly excitatory. It is concluded that transhemispheric cortical reorganization involves both receptor types and that the reciprocal changes at different stages after injury maintain cortical plasticity.

Acetylcholine↗

Transhemispheric cortical reorganization in rat SmI and involvement of central noradrenergic system.

Responses of single units in the hindpaw representational area of the left primary somatosensory cortex to electrical stimulation of both hindpaws and the right forepaw were recorded under urethane anaesthesia in three groups of adult male rats: a control group and two groups in which the right hindpaw representational area had been ablated 3-4 weeks previously, immediately after intraperitoneal injection of saline vehicle or DSP4, to destroy cortical noradrenergic terminals arising from the locus coeruleus. The lesion increased the overall number of neurones responding within 500 ms after the stimulation of the contralateral hindpaw (from 64 to 91%), and the proportion exhibiting short-latency response increased from 41 to 61%. Interestingly, the proportion of neurones with bilateral representation increased from 3 to 10% after the cortical lesioning. The changes were prevented by injection of DSP4 prior to lesioning and therefore depended on an intact central noradrenergic system. The increase in bilateral representation could not have been due to direct interhemispheric connections between corresponding representational areas because it occurred after lesioning of the homologous area in the contralateral hemisphere. The phenomenon was termed 'transhemispheric reorganization' and because it was somatotopically oriented (e.g. to either hindpaw); its function may be to ensure that when a sensory cortical area is damaged, its basic sensory functions are 'taken over' by the corresponding contralateral area.

Animals↗

Lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis do not alter the proportions of pirenzepine- and gallamine-sensitive responses of somatosensory cortical neurones to acetylcholine in the rat.

The effects of S-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-4-isoxozolepropionic acid (AMPA) lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis on the M1/M2 nature of the responses of somatosensory cortical neurones to acetylcholine (ACh) in Sprague-Dawley rats were investigated by iontophoretic application and extracellular single unit recording. The responses were characterised using pirenzepine, an M1 receptor antagonist, and gallamine, an M2 antagonist. Eighty two neurones in control and 94 neurones in lesioned animals were studied. In control animals, 37% of responses to ACh were sensitive to pirenzepine, gallamine or to both antagonists. This increased to 62% in lesioned animals, the proportions of pirenzepine- and gallamine-sensitive responses remaining unchanged. These results provide the first electrophysiological confirmation that both pirenzepine- and gallamine-sensitive (M1 and M2) receptors occur postsynaptic to afferent cholinergic terminals and that their postsynaptic stimulation may produce both inhibition and excitation.

Acetylcholine↗

Cholinergic facilitation and inhibition of long-term potentiation of CA1 in the urethane-anaesthetized rats.

Responses were evoked in the hippocampal CA1 field by stimulating the medial septal area (MSA) and ventral hippocampal commissure (VHC) of urethane-anaesthetized rats. Tetanic stimulation of the MSA resulted in a homosynaptic long-term potentiation (LTP) of a slow synaptic response in the hippocampus, and heterosynaptic LTP of the evoked VHC response. Both forms of LTP were blocked by MK801. Tetanization of the VHC resulted in homosynaptic LTP but did not produce heterosynaptic LTP of the evoked MSA response. Atropine pretreatment increased commissural homosynaptic LTP and unveiled a heterosynaptic LTP of MSA-evoked responses. In contrast, atropine pretreatment partially blocked the homosynaptic LTP produced by tetanization of the MSA and prevented the heterosynaptic LTP of VHC-evoked responses.

Analysis of Variance↗

Dopamine efflux in the rat nucleus accumbens evoked by dopamine receptor stimulation in the entorhinal cortex is modulated by oestradiol and progesterone.

This study compared the effects of dopamine receptor stimulation in the entorhinal cortex on dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, measured by in vivo microdialysis in conscious Sprague-Dawley rats, with and without oestradiol and progesterone priming. Nonselective dopamine receptor stimulation with apomorphine reduced dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens, an effect which was prevented by injection of cis-flupenthixol into the entorhinal cortex. Selective D1 receptor stimulation with SKF38393 increased dopamine release, whereas selective D2 receptor stimulation with quinpirole did not affect dopamine release. Combined administration of oestradiol and progesterone potentiated the response to apomorphine and prevented the response to SKF38393. The effects of single hormone administration on the response to apomorphine suggested that the modulation was primarily due to oestradiol enhancing effects of progesterone. Experiments with high [K+] suggested these hormonal effects were exerted predominantly in the entorhinal cortex. The present experiments have demonstrated that dopaminergic modulation of transmission in a cortico-striatal loop linking temporal and prefrontal cortex is regulated by oestradiol and progesterone. Dysfunction in this system in humans may give rise to affective and cognitive symptoms which may, if initiated by a postpartum fall in oestrogen and progesterone concentrations, constitute the core pathophysiology of puerperal psychosis.

Animals↗

Nicotine induces long-lasting potentiation in the dentate gyrus of nicotine-primed rats.

A challenge dose of nicotine (0.4 mg kg-1 s.c.) produced a long-lasting potentiation (LLP) of field EPSPs evoked in the dentate gyrus by stimulation of the medial perforant path of urethane-anaesthetized rats primed four weeks previously with seven daily injections of nicotine (0.8 mg kg-1 s.c.). The same dose of nicotine did not alter EPSPs evoked in rats primed with saline vehicle. Systemic injection of either mecamylamine or propranolol, 30 min before nicotine challenge, prevented induction of LLP without affecting baseline EPSPs but neither drug affected LLP when given after it was established. Since the nicotine-priming regime is known to increase tyrosine hydroxylase activity and hippocampal noradrenaline release in response to nicotine challenge, the results suggest that systemic injection of nicotine released sufficient noradrenaline in nicotine-primed rats to induce a beta-adrenoceptor-mediated LLP.

Animals↗

Changes in paired-pulse facilitation correlate with induction of long-term potentiation in area CA1 of rat hippocampal slices.

The phenomenon of long-term potentiation is widely used as an experimental model of memory. An approach that has been used to study its underlying mechanisms is to analyse its interaction with presynaptic paired-pulse facilitation. Several studies found no evidence for an interaction in the CA1 hippocampal area, whereas other data, for example from quantal analysis, suggested that presynaptic mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of long-term potentiation. In the present study, initial slopes of field potentials in area CA1 were measured in rat hippocampal slices. "Conventional" long-term potentiation was induced by high-frequency (100 Hz) afferent tetanization of the testing input. "Associative" long-term potentiation was induced by combining lower frequency (40 Hz) tetanization of a testing input with high-frequency tetanization of a second input. The paired-pulse facilitation ratio decreased in the majority of experiments in which long-term potentiation was induced conventionally, but it decreased, increased or did not change after inducing associative potentiation. Decreases in the paired-pulse facilitation correlated inversely with the initial (pre-tetanic) facilitation ratio. A more detailed regression analysis suggests that this correlation results from two other correlations: (i) that between changes in paired-pulse facilitation and the magnitude of long-term potentiation, and (ii) that between initial paired-pulse facilitation and the magnitude of long-term potentiation. The first correlation prevailed during the initial 10 min following tetanization, while the second prevailed 40-60 min later. A post-tetanic decrease in paired-pulse facilitation is evidence for an involvement of presynaptic mechanisms in the maintenance of long-term potentiation. The lack of significant changes in some studies could be due to the inclusion in the analyses of experiments with long-term potentiation of small magnitude, in which changes in paired-pulse facilitation ratios would have been inconsistent. The present study suggests that the early (10-20 min) and late (40-50 min) phases of long-term potentiation were mediated by different mechanisms, with a mixture of these mechanisms during the intermediate period. On the basis of the present and previous studies, the following scheme of involvement of several mechanisms in long-term potentiation maintenance is proposed. The early phase includes two major mechanisms: an increase in the probability of transmitter release, leading to an apparent increase in the number of effective release sites, and an increase in efficacy of one transmitter quantum, probably due to an increased number of postsynaptic receptors. The later phase of long-term potentiation is attributed to an increase in the number of transmitter zones, presumably due to structural modifications.

Animals↗

Plastic changes in the cholinergic innervation of the rat cerebral cortex after unilateral lesion of the nucleus basalis with alpha-amino-3-OH-4-isoxozole propionic acid (AMPA): effects of basal forebrain transplants into neocortex.

Unilateral AMPA lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbm) produced a nearly complete loss of cholinergic markers in the ipsilateral frontal and parietal cortices with no recovery at 6 months. The loss was associated with compensatory increases in AChE-positive fibre density in the contralateral cortex, in ipsilateral cortical regions not receiving their cholinergic innervation from the nbm and in the size of cholinergic magnocellular neurones in the contralateral nbm. The hypertrophy and increase in AChE-positive fibre density were apparent at 4-6 weeks after lesion and increased with time. Cholinergic transplants to cholinergically deafferented cortex prevented development of the compensatory increases in AChE-positive fibre density and restored AChE-positive fibre density and ChAT activity to control levels in ipsilateral cholinergically deafferented regions, partially after 6-8 weeks and completely after 6 months. In contrast, when cholinergic grafts were placed into unlesioned cortex, axonal outgrowth was localized to the vicinity of the transplant and did not develop with time. These results support the concept that vacant synapses promote and direct axonal outgrowth from transplanted neurones and that grafted cholinergic neurones integrate into the lesioned forebrain cholinergic projections system and prevent the lesion-induced changes in AChE-positive fibre density and ChAT activity.

Animals↗

Changes in the sensitivity of frontal cortical neurones to acetylcholine after unilateral lesion of the nucleus basalis with alpha-amino-3-OH-4-isoxozole propionic acid (AMPA): effects of basal forebrain transplants into neocortex.

Unilateral S-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbm), which produced persistent and extensive ChAT-positive cell loss within the nbm and depletion of cortical cholinergic markers in the frontal cortex, increased both the number and sensitivity of individual frontal cortical neurones responding to iontophoretic administration of ACh. The lesion also increased the sensitivity of individual neurones to carbachol but the increase in the number of neurones responding to carbachol was transient and had returned to normal 4 weeks after lesion. The sensitivity of individual neurones to glutamate was unchanged by the lesion. The percentage of cortical neurones responding to ACh, but not the sensitivity of individual neurones was restored to the prelesion level, 6-8 weeks after cholinergic transplants to the lesioned frontal cortex; cholinergic transplants to the more distant parietal cortex were only effective after 6 months whereas noncholinergic transplants were ineffective at both time intervals. Cholinergic transplants placed in the frontal cortex 6-8 weeks or 6 months before nbm lesion offered some protection from the effects of the lesion, particularly at 6 months but were ineffective when placed into the parietal cortex. Lesion of the nbm also reduced basal firing rate of spontaneously active neurones and this was not restored by any of the transplants. The results are discussed in the light of quantitative measurements of acetylcholinesterase-positive fibre outgrowth from the transplant into the recording area, which are described in the preceding manuscript [20].

Acetylcholine↗

Behavioural specificity of neocortical grafts of fetal basal forebrain tissue after unilateral lesion of the nucleus basalis with alpha-amino-3-OH-4-isoxozole propionic acid (AMPA).

The previous articles in this series [4,9] have shown that unilateral AMPA lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbm) produced widespread morphological and functional changes to the forebrain cholinergic projection system that could be reversed by transplants of fetal cholinergic tissue. At earlier postgraft time points, the effects of cholinergic grafts were specific to the neocortical region (frontal or parietal cortex) into which the grafts were targeted. Here we report that nbm lesion-induced spatial learning and memory deficits in the Morris water maze were reversed at 6-8 weeks postsurgery only by cholinergic grafts placed in the frontal cortex or frontal and parietal cortices combined. Similar grafts to parietal cortex only and noncholinergic fetal transplants to any cortical site were ineffective. In contrast, using separate groups of animals, deficits in sensorimotor function could be reversed in only one measure (open field turning) by cholinergic transplants targeted to the parietal (somatosensory) cortex or frontal and parietal cortex combined. These behavioural dissociations demonstrate that the frontal cortical cholinergic innervation from the nbm is necessary for effective spatial cognitive performance.

Animals↗

Ipsilateral and bilateral receptive fields in rat primary somatosensory cortex.

The activity of single neurones evoked by electrical stimulation of the paws was recorded from the central forepaw and hindpaw receptive fields of the primary somatosensory cortex (Sm1) in anaesthetized rats. In the forepaw receptive area (FRA), 44% of neurones showed pyramidal responses to stimulation of their central receptive fields (CRF) compared with 13% of neurones in the hindpaw receptive area (HRA). The neurones were located primarily in layers IV and V. A number of neurones in superficial layers of the hindpaw region, but not in the forepaw region, had either bilateral or exclusively ipsilateral receptive fields. It was concluded that neurones with bilateral hindpaw receptive fields form a separate population of neurones which are organized somatopically.

Animals↗

Sensitivity of rat frontal cortical neurones to nicotine is increased by chronic administration of nicotine and by lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis: comparison with numbers of [3H]nicotine binding sites.

The effects of chronic nicotine treatment and of unilateral AMPA lesion of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (nbm) on the sensitivity of frontal cortical neurones to iontophoretically applied nicotine were studied. Chronic nicotine treatment increased the number of [3H]nicotine binding sites from 2.9 to 3.9 pmol g-1 wet weight, and increased the proportion of cortical neurones responding to nicotine from 32.3% to 60.0%. After unilateral nbm lesions, the densities of AChE-positive fibers and [3H]nicotine binding sites were reduced by approximately 97% and 55%, respectively, and the proportion of neurones responding to nicotine increased from 32.3% to 53.8%. The two treatments, chronic nicotine administration and nbm lesion, also increased the size of individual neuronal responses, prolonged their duration, and shortened the response latency. Responses to glutamate were unaffected by either procedures. The results show that the increase in [3H]nicotine binding produced by chronic nicotine administration is associated with an increased response to iontophoretically applied nicotine, suggesting that the receptor upregulation induced by the chronic treatment were functional. Less easily explained is the association between increased sensitivity of frontal cortical neurons to nicotine after nbm lesion with a decreased receptor density. It is suggested that a substantial proportion of nicotinic receptors are located presynaptically, and that their loss after lesion concealed an upregulation at postsynaptic sites.

Animals↗

Unilateral AMPA lesions of nucleus basalis magnocellularis induce a sensorimotor deficit which is differentially altered by arecoline and nicotine.

One week after unilateral alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) lesions of nucleus basalis magnocellularis, rats showed significant lateralised bias in spontaneous turning and in turning induced by tail pinch or by placing the rat on a 45 degrees grid. Turning was biased to the lesioned side and this side also showed increased responsiveness to pin-prick stimulation of the skin (somaesthesia), snout and whisker stimulation and ammonia olfaction. Arecoline (0.5 mg/kg), at a dose which did not affect responses to sensorimotor stimulation in sham-operated rats, corrected the lesion-induced biased turning to tail pinch and the 45 degrees grid test and reduced the bias in the open field. In contrast, nicotine (0.05 mg/kg), at a dose which also did not substantially affect responses to sensorimotor stimulation in sham-operated rats, switched the lesion-induced turning bias towards the contralateral side. Neither cholinoceptor agonist reduced the lesion-induced increased sensory responsiveness. The effects of nicotine were blocked by the centrally acting nicotinic antagonist, mecamylamine (1.0 mg/kg), but not by hexamethonium (1.0 mg/kg), or ondansetron (0.01 mg/kg). Amphetamine (up to 1.0 mg/kg) did not affect the lesion-induced motor asymmetry. The results confirm that the basal forebrain cholinergic system plays a role in sensorimotor cortical functions, but suggest different functional roles for muscarinic and nicotinic receptors.

Afferent Pathways↗

An iontophoretic study of the effects of alpha-amino-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis on cholinergic and GABAergic influences on frontal cortex neurones of rats.

Unilateral lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) produced by alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid in rats caused, 8-10 weeks after the lesion, a 94% reduction in cortical acetylcholinesterase fibres and reduced activities of acetylcholinesterase and choline acetyltransferase by 70-80% in the frontal cortex ipsilateral to the lesion. In anaesthetized unlesioned control rats, iontophoretic administration of acetylcholine and carbachol produced atropine-sensitive inhibition and excitation of frontal cortical neurones, effects similar to those produced by electrically stimulating the NBM. The lesion reduced cortical neuronal firing rates but increased the percentage and sensitivity of neurones responding to acetylcholine, the predominant response changing from inhibition to excitation; response duration increased but latency was unaffected. The size of the response of individual neurones to carbachol, but not the percentage of sensitive neurones, was also increased in lesioned animals. The proportion of neurones responding to bicuculline and their individual sensitivities were increased by the lesion, suggesting that the lesion increased GABAergic tone; responses to glutamate were unchanged. The lesion did not affect the proportion of neurones in which acetylcholine modulated neuronal responses but reversed the nature of the modulation to predominantly excitatory; excitation was the predominant response to electrical forepaw stimulation in unlesioned control animals. This suggests a possible interaction between GABAergic and cholinergic mechanisms in selective attention and processing of cognitive information. Acute administration of di-isopropyl fluorophosphate to unlesioned animals significantly increased the number of frontal cortical neurones responding to acetylcholine, without affecting individual neuronal sensitivity or responses to carbachol and glutamate. The similarity of these effects to those of acetylcholine in lesioned animals suggests that the increased sensitivity to acetylcholine in the latter was due to loss of acetylcholinesterase, enabling diffusion of acetylcholine to more distant neurones. However, acetylcholinesterase does not hydrolyse carbachol and therefore it is necessary to postulate a different post-synaptic mechanism to explain the lesion-induced increases in the sensitivities of individual neurones to carbachol and to acetylcholine; interpretation of experimental findings should take these two mechanisms into account.

Acetylcholine↗

Extracellular recordings in the colchicine-lesioned rat dentate gyrus following transplants of fetal dentate gyrus and CA1 hippocampal subfield tissue.

Grafts of fetal dentate gyrus (DG) and CA1 hippocampal subfield tissue were extruded into the dentate gyri of adult male Sprague-Dawley rats, 7-10 days after lesioning the granule cells with colchicine (0.06 microliter of 7 mg/ml solution at each of 5 sites/hippocampus). Graft area-host and host-graft area connectivities were investigated 4-6 months post-transplantation by recoding extracellular evoked response in hippocampal slice preparations. Following stimulation of the host mid-molecular layer, evoked field potential responses, showing considerable variation, were recorded in both types of graft. Evoked responses in the lesioned DG without grafts were recorded in very few slices. Stimulation of the area of DG tissue grafts occasionally evoked responses in the host CA3/CA4 and there was no evidence for CA1 graft area-CA3/CA4 connectivity; stimulation of DG and CA1 graft areas occasionally evoked responses in the host CA1. Responses in the area of both DG and CA1 grafts supported short-term potentiation following stimulation of the host mid-molecular layer but only DG graft areas supported long-term potentiation of the population spike amplitude. In the area of both types of transplant a tonic bicuculline-sensitive inhibition was present and paired-pulse stimulation paradigms provided some evidence for inhibition. It is possible that responses recorded within the area of grafted tissue to stimulation of the host are attributable to host-graft connectivity and similarly, responses recorded in the host to stimulation of the area of the graft may be attributable to graft-host connectivity. Only DG graft areas received host inputs which were capable of sustaining a long-term potentiation and establishing efferent contacts with the host CA3/CA4 subfield, suggesting that these would be more likely than CA1 grafts to reinstate normal functional circuitry.

Animals↗