Francesco Ferraguti

Aspects of neural plasticity in the central nervous system-I. Computer-assisted image analysis methods.

Microdensitometric and morphometric techniques have been developed to quantitatively characterize cell groups and terminal populations of transmitter-identified neuronal systems. Various microdensitometric methods implemented on the image analyzer or on the scanning microdensitometer were introduced and compared. On this basis a technique to assess the half-life of dopamine stores determined by quantitative immunocytochemistry has been developed. The problem of relative and absolute quantification of microdensitometric analysis of immunocytochemical preparations is discussed here. A method has been developed for the study, both in 2- and 3-dimensions, of the overall features of the profile distribution in a defined neuroanatomical area. An approach to determine the degree of uniformity of a certain profile distribution is also proposed. Furthermore, methods for the evaluation of the codistribution of two or more different types of profiles and to characterize the morphometric features of patches of profiles in a certain region are presented. All these quantitative morphological approaches were tested in relevant preparations of the central nervous system.

Feeding and drinking responses to neuropeptide Y injections in the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus of aged rats

Neuropeptide Y (NPY), a peptide of the pancreatic polypeptide family, exerts a potent stimulatory action on eating when injected into the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN) in rats. Several NPY-containing systems are altered with advancing age, and aged rodents develop anorexia and a modified daily cycle pattern of feeding. These findings suggest that a relationship may exist between the aging-related anorexia and the reduced function of NPY-containing systems projecting to the PVN. In the present study eating and drinking behavior in satiated or fasted young (3 months) and aged (24 months) rats have been investigated over 22 h after NPY injection into the PVN. The levels of NPY immunoreactivity (IR) in PVN were also evaluated by means of semiquantitative immunocytochemistry. NPY injections into PVN increased food and water consumption in both young and aged satiated rats 30, 90 and 240 min after injection. However, the feeding and drinking responses elicited by 0.05, 0.10 and 1.0 nmol of NPY were significantly attenuated in the aged rats when compared to young rats. In aged rats, 24 h of food and water deprivation produced significant increase of food consumption measured at 30, 90 min and 22 h, which was equivalent to that induced by 1.0 nmol NPY injection. Administration of 1.0 nmol NPY in PVN did not further increase the 24 h deprivation effect on feeding in both groups of rats, but enhanced drinking in deprived young rats. This effect was not present in aged rats. In addition, aged rats showed a stronger response to 24 h deprivation than to 1.0 nmol NPY administration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

REPEATED ELECTROCONVULSIVE SHOCK INCREASES GLIAL FIBRILLARY ACIDIC PROTEIN, ORNITHINE DECARBOXYLASE, SOMATOSTATIN AND CHOLECYSTOKININ IMMUNOREACTIVITIES IN THE HIPPOCAMPAL-FORMATION OF THE RAT

Rats were submitted to single or repeated (7 days, one session for each day) sessions of electroconvulsive shock. A computer-assisted morphometric and microdensitometric analysis of glial fibrillary acidic protein-, ornithine decarboxylase-, somatostatin- and cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivities was performed in the hippocampal formation and other brain areas. The results of the study showed a significant increase of the intensity of the immunostaining for glial fibrillary acidic protein, ornithine decarboxylase, somatostatin and cholecystokinin in the hippocampal formation and distinctively in the dentate gyrus following repeated, but not single, electroconvulsive shock. No significant change was found in the number of somatostatin- and cholecystokinin-like immunoreactive cell bodies in any hippocampal subregion and in the number of glial cells in the hilus of dentate gyrus in rats treated with single or repeated electroconvulsive shock. It is a distinct possibility that the observed increase in the content of the neuropeptides in the hippocampal formation reflects a compensatory response of the brain to seizure-inducing stimuli and that such an increase may play a role in the therapeutic effect of electroconvulsive shock.

Age-related alterations in tanycytes of the mediobasal hypothalamus of the male rat

By means of semiquantitative immunocytochemistry, possible age-related changes in dopamine and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein mr 32 (DARPP-32) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunoreactivities (IR) were investigated in tanycytes of the arcuate nucleus. These two markers showed opposite changes during aging. DARPP-32 IR decreased by around 70%, whereas GFAP IR increased by around 300% in 24-month-old vs. 3-month-old rats. These changes were accompanied by a progressive loss in the number of tanycytes, measured by counting of their long processes in the arcuate nucleus. No significant age-related change was observed either in GFAP IR in astrocytic populations of the mediobasal hypothalamus or in tyrosine hydroxylase IR in dopaminergic neurons of the dorsal arcuate nucleus. These observations indicate that the tanycytic population of the arcuate nucleus undergoes important modifications during aging, which include cell loss, impairment in the intracellular signalling cascade linked to DARPP-32, and hypertrophy. These changes may be related to the alterations in the neuroendocrine systems known to occur during aging.

Increases in sulphated glycoprotein-2 mRNA levels in the rat brain after transient forebrain ischemia or partial mesodiencephalic hemitransection

Sulphated glycoprotein-2, thought to be involved in programmed cell death in peripheral organs, has been detected at increased levels in brain degenerative states. In this paper we have investigated the regional and cellular expression of this protein during development of brain lesion. With this aim sulphated glycoprotein-2 mRNA levels were studied in models of ischemic (transient forebrain ischemia) or mechanical (partial mesodiencephalic hemitransection) brain injuries using in situ hybridization histochemistry. Marked increases in sulphated glycoprotein-2 mRNA were observed in lesioned brains in both models. In addition, we report a shift in the regional distribution of positive cells in both lesion models 1-7 days post-lesion. After transient forebrain ischemia, sulphated glycoprotein-2 mRNA increases were always localized in selectively vulnerable regions (caudate-putamen, hippocampal formation), showing a temporal change in the pattern of intraregional distribution from less to more lesioned parts. In the case of mechanical lesion at 1 day, increased labelling had a widespread distribution on the lesioned side and was also observed on the intact side near the midline. In contrast, at 7 days increased labelling was restricted to regions directly lesioned (either areas whose input and/or output connections were severed by the transection or areas which were directly affected by the mechanical lesion). Analysis at the cellular level revealed that at both time intervals and in both lesion models most cell bodies overlain by dense clusters of specific grains were non-neuronal cells. The distribution patterns and their change over time suggest that at least some of these cells are inflammatory and phagocytic cells. The majority of degenerating neuronal cells after ischemia did not show increased levels of sulphated glycoprotein-2 mRNA. However, seven days after hemitransection and at all time intervals after transient ischemia, some cells clearly identifiable as neurons exhibited increased sulphated glycoprotein-2 mRNA levels.

Morphometrical evidence for a complex organization of tyrosine hydroxylase-,enkephalin- and darpp-32-like immunoreactive patches and their codistribution at three rostrocaudal levels in the rat neostriatum

Tyrosine hydroxylase-like, dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein (Mr = 32,000)-like and enkephalin-like immunoreactive profiles and their codistribution have been evaluated at three rostrocaudal levels of the rat neostriatum by means of a computer-assisted morphometrical method, which allows an objective definition of high density/intensity patches using specific antibodies in combination with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique. Our results show that both tyrosine hydroxylase-like, dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein-like and enkephalin-like profiles are organized in patches in the rat neostriatum. In the marginal zone, the tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactive and dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein-like immunoreactive patches both occupied a large part of the total area. Moreover, in this zone, these putative markers for pre- and postsynaptic elements of dopaminergic synapses also showed a complete spatial overlap. In contrast, the enkephalin-like immunoreactive patches in the marginal zone occupied a smaller area, and showed only an incomplete, albeit significant overlap with the tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactive/dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein-like immunoreactive system. In the central zone, tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactive, dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein-like immunoreactive and enkephalin-like immunoreactive patches occupied a much smaller part of the total area than did those in the marginal zone. Within the central zone, enkephalin-like immunoreactive patches occupied a significantly larger area than did the tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactive and dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein-like immunoreactive patches. No consistent pattern of overlap between the three different staining patterns could be seen in the central zone, probably due to the small, inconsistent size of the patches. Trend analysis showed a consistent trend of more tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactive and dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein-like immunoreactive patches in the dorsal than in the ventral striatum, and a trend of more enkephalin-like immunoreactive patches in the rostral than in the caudal striatum. Our data thus demonstrate that, by using computer-assisted morphometrical techniques, it is possible to describe a non-homogenous but overlapping distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase-like immunoreactive and dopamine- and cyclic AMP-regulated phosphoprotein-like immunoreactive patches in the rat neostriatum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Selective reduction of glucocorticoid receptor immunoreactivity in the hippocampal formation and central amygdaloid nucleus of the aged rat

Hippocampal cell loss during aging has been related to the toxic effects of corticosterone on this cell population. It is not known which receptor mediates corticosterone cytotoxicity. At least two types of receptors for corticosterone have been recognized in the rat brain, type I (corticosterone preferring receptor, CR) and type II (glucocorticoid receptor, GR). In the present study the possible changes in GR immunoreactivity (IR) in various tel- and diencephalic regions of the aged rat have been investigated using immunocytochemistry coupled with computer-assisted image analysis. Male Sprague-Dawley rats of 3, 12 and 24 months of age were used (n = 5/group). A selective decrease of GR-IR was observed in the CA1 hippocampal field and central amygdaloid nucleus of the 24-month-old with respect to both 3- and 12-month-old rats. While in the former region GR-IR decrease was paralleled by a decrease of IR field area, no age-related decrease of GR-IR profile number was detected in central amygdaloid nucleus. A significant decrease of GR-IR and IR field area was also observed in the dentate gyrus of 24- vs 12-month-old rats but not vs 3-month-old rats. The analysis of adjacent sections stained with Cresyl violet showed a pattern of age-related changes (decrease of neuronal profiles in CA1 field pyramidal layer and dentate gyrus granular layer, and no change in the central amygdaloid nucleus of aged rats) which paralleled the observed changes in GR-IR in the same areas. This study provides evidence that GR are selectively decreased in the hippocampal formation and in the central amygdaloid nucleus of the aged rat.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Regional increases in ornithine decarboxylase mRNA levels in the rat brain after partial mesodiencephalic hemitransection as revealed by in situ hybridization histochemistry

Changes in the level of ornithine decarboxylase mRNA after partial mesodiencephalic hemitransection were evaluated in various regions of the rat brain by means of in situ hybridization histochemistry coupled with computer-assisted image analysis. On days 1 and 2 after the lesion, increased accumulation of ornithine decarboxylase mRNA was observed on the lesioned side in various telencephalic regions (e.g. neostriatum and frontoparietal cortex), and in the pars compacta of the substantia nigra. Both in the frontoparietal cortex and substantia nigra a decreasing gradient of ornithine decarboxylase mRNA activation was observed going far from the site of the lesion. Seven days after the operation, ornithine decarboxylase mRNA levels returned to control values on the lesioned side but increased in some regions, such as the frontoparietal cortex, on the intact side. The present results demonstrate that the parent cell body biosynthetic machinery is activated by the mechanical lesion of the axons at the level of ornithine decarboxylase gene expression. The increase of ornithine decarboxylase mRNA is not as large as the enhancement in ornithine decarboxylase activity previously shown, suggesting that the response to the lesion may also involve changes in the rate of translation of ornithine decarboxylase mRNA and/or in the rate of degradation of ornithine decarboxylase protein.

Pain, analgesia, and stress: an integrated view.

The different theories on the neuroanatomical substrate of pain have been revised in the frame of new concepts on the intercellular communication in the central nervous system. In fact, it has recently been proposed that two kinds of electrochemical transmission exist in the brain: the first one, called wiring transmission (WT), uses neuronal chains (neuronal plasma membranes and synaptic contacts), whereas the second one, called volume transmission (VT), uses the extracellular fluid as physical substrate. The old concept of a separate system of afferents and central cells that constitute the pain mechanism is no more longer tenable. To reach a better understanding of the psychophysiological basis of pain, we should consider a view where WT and VT cooperate within neuronal systems functionally affected by the pervading modulatory action of endocrine signals.

Corticosterone treatment counteracts lesions induced by neonatal treatment with monosodium glutamate in the mediobasal hypothalamus of the male rat

The effects of glucocorticoids on monosodium glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in the neonatal basal hypothalamus were studied by means of semiquantitative immunocytochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase, growth hormone releasing factor and luteinizing hormone releasing hormone. Neonatal monosodium glutamate treatment induced a marked decrease in tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactive neurons in the arcuate nucleus and growth hormone releasing factor immunoreactive nerve terminals in the median eminence. These effects were significantly antagonized by the coadministration of corticosterone. Corticosterone alone had no effect on the parameters studied. No significant change in luteinizing hormone releasing hormone immunoreactivity in the median eminence was detected after any treatment. These results demonstrate that corticosterone, possibly acting via type II corticosterone receptors which are highly enriched in the arcuate neurons, can exert a protective action on glutamate-induced neurotoxicity.