The amygdala is a cerebral region whose function is compromised in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Patients with TLE present cognitive and emotional dysfunctions, of which impairments in recognizing facial expressions have been clearly attributed to amygdala damage. However, damage to the amygdala has been scarcely addressed, with the majority of studies focusing on the hippocampus. The aim of this study was to evaluate epilepsy-related plasticity of cholinergic projections to the basolateral nucleus (BL) of the amygdala. Adult rats received kainic acid (KA) injections and developed status epilepticus. Weeks later, they showed spontaneous recurrent seizures documented by behavioral observations. Changes in cholinergic innervation of the BL were investigated by using an antibody against the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). In KA-treated rats, it was found that (i) the BL shrunk to 25% of its original size (p < 0.01 vs. controls, Student’s t-test), (ii) the density of vesicular acetylcholine transporter-immunoreactive (VAChT-IR) varicosities was unchanged, (iii) the volumes of VAChT-IR cell bodies projecting to the BL from the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca, ventral pallidum, and subcommissural part of the substantia innominata were significantly increased (p < 0.05, Bonferroni correction). These results illustrate significant changes in the basal forebrain cholinergic cells projecting to the BL in the presence of spontaneous recurrent seizures.

Neuroplasticity in cholinergic projections from basal forebrain to the basolateral nucleus of amygdala in the kainic acid model of temporal lobe epilepsy / ROSAL LUSTOSA, ITALO; Soares, Joana I.; Biagini, Giuseppe; LUKOYANOV, NICOLAY VSEVOLODOVICH; Nikolay, V.. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES. - ISSN 1661-6596. - 20:(2019), pp. 1-14. [10.3390/ijms20225688]

Neuroplasticity in cholinergic projections from basal forebrain to the basolateral nucleus of amygdala in the kainic acid model of temporal lobe epilepsy

ROSAL LUSTOSA, ITALO;Biagini Giuseppe
;
LUKOYANOV, NICOLAY VSEVOLODOVICH;
2019

Abstract

The amygdala is a cerebral region whose function is compromised in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Patients with TLE present cognitive and emotional dysfunctions, of which impairments in recognizing facial expressions have been clearly attributed to amygdala damage. However, damage to the amygdala has been scarcely addressed, with the majority of studies focusing on the hippocampus. The aim of this study was to evaluate epilepsy-related plasticity of cholinergic projections to the basolateral nucleus (BL) of the amygdala. Adult rats received kainic acid (KA) injections and developed status epilepticus. Weeks later, they showed spontaneous recurrent seizures documented by behavioral observations. Changes in cholinergic innervation of the BL were investigated by using an antibody against the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). In KA-treated rats, it was found that (i) the BL shrunk to 25% of its original size (p < 0.01 vs. controls, Student’s t-test), (ii) the density of vesicular acetylcholine transporter-immunoreactive (VAChT-IR) varicosities was unchanged, (iii) the volumes of VAChT-IR cell bodies projecting to the BL from the horizontal limb of the diagonal band of Broca, ventral pallidum, and subcommissural part of the substantia innominata were significantly increased (p < 0.05, Bonferroni correction). These results illustrate significant changes in the basal forebrain cholinergic cells projecting to the BL in the presence of spontaneous recurrent seizures.
2019
13-nov-2019
20
1
14
Neuroplasticity in cholinergic projections from basal forebrain to the basolateral nucleus of amygdala in the kainic acid model of temporal lobe epilepsy / ROSAL LUSTOSA, ITALO; Soares, Joana I.; Biagini, Giuseppe; LUKOYANOV, NICOLAY VSEVOLODOVICH; Nikolay, V.. - In: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES. - ISSN 1661-6596. - 20:(2019), pp. 1-14. [10.3390/ijms20225688]
ROSAL LUSTOSA, ITALO; Soares, Joana I.; Biagini, Giuseppe; LUKOYANOV, NICOLAY VSEVOLODOVICH; Nikolay, V.
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
ijms-20-05688 ChatAmygdala.pdf

Open access

Tipologia: Versione pubblicata dall'editore
Dimensione 1.27 MB
Formato Adobe PDF
1.27 MB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri
Pubblicazioni consigliate

Licenza Creative Commons
I metadati presenti in IRIS UNIMORE sono rilasciati con licenza Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal, mentre i file delle pubblicazioni sono rilasciati con licenza Attribuzione 4.0 Internazionale (CC BY 4.0), salvo diversa indicazione.
In caso di violazione di copyright, contattare Supporto Iris

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11380/1184113
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 3
  • Scopus 3
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 3
social impact