title: The firing activity of presumed cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons of the pedunculopontine nucleus in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats: an in vivo electrophysiological study.
abstract: Several studies have shown that the neuronal activity of the pedunculopontine nucleus is increased in Parkinson's disease. In the present study, the changes were examined in the firing rate and firing pattern of presumed cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons in the pedunculopontine nucleus of 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats by using extracellular recording. In the lesioned rats, the mean firing rate of both presumed cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons in the pedunculopontine nucleus increased significantly compared to normal rats. With regard to firing pattern, the majority of presumed cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons fired regularly in normal rats. After substantia nigra pars compacta-lesion, the percentage of presumed non-cholinergic neurons exhibiting irregular pattern increased significantly compared to normal rats, while having no significant change in the firing pattern of presumed cholinergic neurons. Collectively, these results indicate that the presumed cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons in the pedunculopontine nucleus are overactive in 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats, particularly, presumed non-cholinergic neuron firing is more irregular, which suggests that the firing activity of presumed cholinergic and non-cholinergic neurons is affected by the different afferents from the basal ganglia and related structures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710004, China.
authors.forename: Qiao Jun
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhong Heng
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Yan Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.forename: Umar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Ali
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000503:physiopathology; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D016627:Oxidopamine; D020734:Parkinsonian Disorders / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D045042:Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000503:physiopathology; D013565:Sympatholytics; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D013565:Sympatholytics; D016627:Oxidopamine; D000109:Acetylcholine