Spontaneous and evoked activity of substantia nigra pars reticulata neurons during high-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus.
The subthalamic nucleus (STN), a major component of the basal ganglia, exerts an excitatory influence on the output structures of this system i.e., the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNR) and the internal segment of the globus pallidus. High-frequency stimulation of the STN is a method currently used to treat parkinsonian symptoms. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effects of STN high-frequency stimulation on the activity of SNR neurons and to investigate its impact on the transfer of information between the cerebral cortex and the SNR. During STN high-frequency stimulation, the activity of SNR cells was decreased at low-intensity stimulation, whereas it was increased at a higher intensity. The decrease in the discharge of SNR cells likely results from the activation of a GABAergic transmission in the SNR because this effect was blocked by local application of bicuculline. The increased activity likely results from the activation of the glutamatergic subthalamonigral projection because the latency of the evoked excitations was consistent with the conduction time of the subthalamonigral neurons. Finally, during STN high-frequency stimulation, the transmission of cortical information along the direct trans-striatal pathway was preserved, whereas the functionality of the trans-subthalamic pathways was partly preserved or completely blocked depending on the stimulation intensity. The present data indicate that STN high-frequency stimulation influences the activity of SNR cells through activation of their excitatory and inhibitory synaptic afferent pathways as well as antidromic activation of the projection neurons.
Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale U.114, Chaire de Neuropharmacologie, Collège de France, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France. nicolas.maurice@college-de-france.fr
Nicolas
N
Maurice
Anne-Marie
AM
Thierry
Jacques
J
Glowinski
Jean-Michel
JM
Deniau
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D018756:GABA Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D020531:Subthalamic Nucleus / Q000502:physiology*; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
D018756:GABA Antagonists; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid