Lesion and stimulation of the ventral tegmental area increases cholinergic activity in the rat brain
Lesion and stimulation of the ventral tegmental area increases cholinergic activity in the rat brain
Our previous study indicated that unilateral lesion of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) facilitates contralateral VTA stimulation-induced feeding or exploration. The present study was aimed to determine the possible role of the central cholinergic systems in this effect. Immunohistochemistry for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) was used to measure the number of active cholinergic neurons in their major groups (Ch1-Ch6) and in striatal regions in rats subjected to unilateral electrocoagulation and contralateral VTA electrical stimulation (L/S group) in comparison to the unilaterally stimulated (S), unilaterally lesioned (L) and sham (Sh) groups. The study showed that unilateral VTA lesion increased (as compared to Sh group) the number of ChAT+ neurons in the Ch1-Ch3 and unilateral VTA stimulation increased the number in the Ch1 and the ventral pallidum only. The most sensitive to these changes in the mesolimbic system were cholinergic structures providing hippocampal afferentation. Surprisingly, there was no significant increase in the number of ChAT+ neurons in the L/S group. The obtained results did not confirm any evident influence of the cholinergic systems on the VTA lesion-induced facilitation of the behavioral response evoked by contralateral VTA stimulation.
cholinergic system, ventral tegmental area, immunohistochemistry, choline acetyltransferase, stimulation, lesion
28-39
Majkutewicz, Irena
71dde6b6-c65e-41ea-b30e-3ef004cefa95
Cecot, Tomasz
eb39253c-283b-4000-af47-5f898749079d
Jerzemowska, Grazyna
c7a9d18c-0a9c-49a6-96f9-0528bbb888d9
Trojniar, Weronika
02fe6d4b-0157-437f-9e51-ea34f8658457
Jaskulski, Michał
a2367cb9-53dd-4b21-8376-f1335f414dd6
Wrona, Danuta
e89efa49-a597-43e0-83ca-4bc621dcd03a
2010
Majkutewicz, Irena
71dde6b6-c65e-41ea-b30e-3ef004cefa95
Cecot, Tomasz
eb39253c-283b-4000-af47-5f898749079d
Jerzemowska, Grazyna
c7a9d18c-0a9c-49a6-96f9-0528bbb888d9
Trojniar, Weronika
02fe6d4b-0157-437f-9e51-ea34f8658457
Jaskulski, Michał
a2367cb9-53dd-4b21-8376-f1335f414dd6
Wrona, Danuta
e89efa49-a597-43e0-83ca-4bc621dcd03a
Majkutewicz, Irena, Cecot, Tomasz, Jerzemowska, Grazyna, Trojniar, Weronika, Jaskulski, Michał and Wrona, Danuta
(2010)
Lesion and stimulation of the ventral tegmental area increases cholinergic activity in the rat brain.
Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 70 (1), .
(PMID:20407484)
Abstract
Our previous study indicated that unilateral lesion of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) facilitates contralateral VTA stimulation-induced feeding or exploration. The present study was aimed to determine the possible role of the central cholinergic systems in this effect. Immunohistochemistry for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) was used to measure the number of active cholinergic neurons in their major groups (Ch1-Ch6) and in striatal regions in rats subjected to unilateral electrocoagulation and contralateral VTA electrical stimulation (L/S group) in comparison to the unilaterally stimulated (S), unilaterally lesioned (L) and sham (Sh) groups. The study showed that unilateral VTA lesion increased (as compared to Sh group) the number of ChAT+ neurons in the Ch1-Ch3 and unilateral VTA stimulation increased the number in the Ch1 and the ventral pallidum only. The most sensitive to these changes in the mesolimbic system were cholinergic structures providing hippocampal afferentation. Surprisingly, there was no significant increase in the number of ChAT+ neurons in the L/S group. The obtained results did not confirm any evident influence of the cholinergic systems on the VTA lesion-induced facilitation of the behavioral response evoked by contralateral VTA stimulation.
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Published date: 2010
Keywords:
cholinergic system, ventral tegmental area, immunohistochemistry, choline acetyltransferase, stimulation, lesion
Organisations:
Faculty of Medicine
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Local EPrints ID: 368552
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/368552
ISSN: 0065-1400
PURE UUID: c38ce734-a4e1-4de4-9637-8e67295acdf4
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Date deposited: 17 Sep 2014 15:20
Last modified: 08 Jan 2022 09:19
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Author:
Irena Majkutewicz
Author:
Tomasz Cecot
Author:
Grazyna Jerzemowska
Author:
Weronika Trojniar
Author:
Michał Jaskulski
Author:
Danuta Wrona
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