The long term objective of this project is to obtain a better understanding of the regulation of cholinergic innervation of the cerebral cortex. Since most of the cholinergic input to the neocortex arises from the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert, the proposed studies in this project ar focused on the elucidation of the anatomical and physiological properties of neurons in the rat substantia innominata - ventral pallidum (SI-VP) complex, within which are located the cortex-projecting neurons homologous to the cholinergic neurons of the primate Nucleus Basalis of Meynert. The planned studies will use the technique of intracellular recording In Vivo to analyze physiological properties of neurons in the rat SI-VP complex. The nature of afferent inputs will be studied by stimulation of respective areas. Moreover, we will utilize the technique of intracellular labeling with biocytin to examine the morphology and the synaptic relationships of the physiologically identified neurons. Since most neurons within the SI-VP complex are not cholinergic neurons, we will employ double-labeling methods to identify the transmitter contained within the intracellularly labeled neurons, and to determine their synaptic relationships with other immunocytochemically identified neuronal elements. We will carry out other additional single and double-labeling immunocytochemical studies at both light microscopic and electron microscopic levels in order to determine the distribution and the synaptic relationships of various non-cholinergic neurons in rat SI-VP complex. These information will be useful in the revising our current functional model of the Nucleus Basalis of Meynert, and may contribute to formulation of both preventive and therapeutic treatments of Alzheimer's Disease.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AG005944-05
Application #
3116679
Study Section
Neurology A Study Section (NEUA)
Project Start
1986-09-01
Project End
1993-03-31
Budget Start
1991-04-01
Budget End
1992-03-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
1991
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Tennessee Health Science Center
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
941884009
City
Memphis
State
TN
Country
United States
Zip Code
38163
Herron, P; Baskerville, K A; Chang, H T et al. (1997) Distribution of neurons immunoreactive for parvalbumin and calbindin in the somatosensory thalamus of the raccoon. J Comp Neurol 388:120-9
Chang, H T; Tian, Q; Herron, P (1995) GABAergic axons in the ventral forebrain of the rat: an electron microscopic study. Neuroscience 68:207-20
Chang, H T (1993) Immunoperoxidase labeling of the anterograde tracer fluoro-ruby (tetramethylrhodamine-dextran amine conjugate). Brain Res Bull 30:115-8
Baskerville, K A; Chang, H T; Herron, P (1993) Topography of cholinergic afferents from the nucleus basalis of Meynert to representational areas of sensorimotor cortices in the rat. J Comp Neurol 335:552-62
Chang, H T; Kita, H (1992) Interneurons in the rat striatum: relationships between parvalbumin neurons and cholinergic neurons. Brain Res 574:307-11
Kuo, H; Chang, H T (1992) Ventral pallido-striatal pathway in the rat brain: a light and electron microscopic study. J Comp Neurol 321:626-36
Chang, H T (1991) Anterograde transport of lucifer yellow-dextran conjugate. Brain Res Bull 26:813-6
Chang, H T; Kuo, H (1991) Calcium-binding protein (calbindin D-28k) immunoreactive neurons in the basal forebrain of the monkey and the rat: relationship with the cholinergic neurons. Adv Exp Med Biol 295:119-26
Chang, H T; Kuo, H (1991) Relationship of calbindin D-28k and cholinergic neurons in the nucleus basalis of Meynert of the monkey and the rat. Brain Res 549:141-5
Chang, H T; Tian, Q (1991) Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) immunoreactive elements in the caudal ventral striatum of the rat: a light and electron microscopic study. Brain Res Bull 26:947-56

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