CELLULAR PHARMACOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY OF SEPTAL NEURONS

隔核与隔核之间的密切解剖关系 边缘系统内的海马体是众所周知的。最近的研究， 在细胞水平上，一直关注生理学和 海马区神经元的药理学，但几乎没有可比较的数据 关于隔核中的神经元的信息。我们已经开发出了一种智能 大鼠脑片细胞内记录的体外制备 背外侧隔神经元和内侧隔神经元。 我们的目标是确定单个隔区神经元的特征 电生理，药理学和解剖学基础，这样我们就可以 确定这些核团中哪些特定神经元起“起搏器”的作用 功能以及这些神经元如何产生一种称为theta的电活动 节奏。Theta节律可以从边缘的不同部分被记录下来 系统，但其起源的焦点目前被认为驻留在 隔膜或海马体。我们将继续假设 Theta节律是在间隔中产生的，并决定了这种节律是如何 受内源性释放的神经递质的影响，如： 去甲肾上腺素、多巴胺、5-羟色胺、乙酰胆碱或兴奋性 抑制性氨基酸。我们将比较外源、 这些相同物质在隔神经元上的离子导入应用。 最后，我们将检查最常开出的苯二氮卓类药物 行为活性药物，影响自发和诱发的电 活动。 我们相信，从这项提案中获得的信息将具有广泛的基础 和临床科学应用，因为隔神经元的修饰 活动与正常认知和异常认知都有关联 学习和记忆等过程，以及在正常和异常中 表达我们的情感。可能受益的特定精神障碍 这项建议的结果包括：精神分裂症、抑郁症、 躁狂、癫痫、老年痴呆症和阿尔茨海默氏症。

The close anatomical relationship between the septal nuclei and the hippocampus within the limbic system is well known. Much recent research, at the cellular level, has been concerned with the physiology and pharmacology of neurons within the hippocampus, but little comparable data is available about neurons in the septal nuclei. We have developed an in vitro brain slice preparation to record intracellularly from individual rat dorsolateral and medial septal neurons. Our goal is to characterize individual septal neurons on an electrophysiological, pharmacological and anatomical bases so that we can determine which specific neurons in these nuclei serve a "pacemaker" function and how these neurons generate an electrical activity termed theta rhythm. Theta rhythm can be recorded from various parts of the limbic system, but its focus of origin is currently thought to reside either in the septum or the hippocampus. We will proceed on the hypothesis that theta rhythm is generated in the septum and determine how this rhythm is affected by endogenously released neurotransmitters such as: norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, acetylcholine or excitatory and inhibitory amino acids. We will compare responses induced by exogenous, iontophoretic application of these same substances on septal neurons. Finally, we will examine how benzodiazepines, the most often prescribed behaviorally active drugs, affect both spontaneous and evoked electrical activity. We believe information obtained from this proposal will have broad basic and clinical science applications, since modification of septal neuron activity has been implicated in both normal and abnormal cognitive processes such as learning and memory, and in normal and abnormal expressions of our emotions. Specific mental disorders that may benefit from the results of this proposal include: schizophrenia, depression, mania, epilepsy, senile dementia, and Alzheimer's Disease.