The Role of Cholinergic Neuron System in the Plasticity of Developing Somatosensory Cortex, 2005

1.以往的研究表明，新生儿电解损伤基底前脑胆碱能预测在小鼠导致短暂的胆碱能耗尽新皮层和永久性改变皮层细胞结构和认知性能。我们研究了新生儿基底前脑损伤是否改变了新皮层的可塑性。使用细胞色素氧化酶组织化学，我们已经表明，可塑性指数减少基底前脑损伤的动物。我们的数据表明，胆碱能输入在调节可塑性以及在小鼠感觉运动皮层的形态发生中发挥作用。2.研究丘脑皮质轴突中瞬时表达的5-羟色胺转运体的作用，帕罗西汀，SSRI给孕鼠和幼鼠。我们已经发现帕罗西汀治疗的动物显示皮质5-HT和5-HIAA水平显著降低。此外，我们还发现帕罗西汀治疗组的斑块和隔膜面积显著减少。在帕罗西汀处理的小鼠中观察到翻正反射的建立延迟。我们的数据可能表明，5-HT再摄取到丘脑皮质纤维围产期可能有助于大鼠桶皮质发育的形态和神经元功能。

1.Previous studies have shown that neonatal electrolytic lesions of basal forebrain cholinergic projections in mice lead to a transient cholinergic depletion of neocortex and to permanent alterations in cortical cytoarchitecture and cognitive performance. We examined whether neonatal lesions of the basal forebrain modify neocortical plasticity. Using cytochrome oxidase histochemistry, we have shown that an index of plasticity was reduced in the basal forebrain lesioned animals. Our data suggest that cholinergic inputs play a role in regulating plasticity as well as in the morphogenesis of mouse sensory-motor cortex.2.To investigate the role of the transiently expressed serotonin transporter in the thalamocortical axons, paroxetine, an SSRI was administered to pregnant rats and pups. We have found that paroxetine-treated animals revealed a significant decrease in the level of cortical 5-HT and 5-HIAA. Also, we have found that the areas of patches and septa were significantly decreased in the paroxetine-treated groups. A delay of establishment in righting reflex was seen in paroxetine-treated mice. Our data might suggest that 5-HT reuptake into thalamocortical fibers perinatally might contribute to the rat barrel cortex development both in morphology and in neuronal function.