Induction of c-Fos expression by electrical stimulation of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis.
The present study examined the expression of the immediate-early gene c-fos in different brain regions following a single 20-min session of unilateral electrical stimulation of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM). Current findings confirm that NBM stimulation provides specific activation of several cortical and subcortical regions closely related to the NBM and involved in learning and memory processes, such as the cingulate, parietal, piriform and perirhinal cortices, dorsal subiculum, and the parafascicular, central lateral and central medial nuclei of the thalamus. In contrast, NBM stimulation did not increase c-Fos expression in some expected areas that receive direct NBM projections such as the entorhinal cortex or amygdala nuclei. Results are discussed in terms of the possibility that NBM electrical stimulation facilitates learning by inducing neural changes related to transcription factors such as c-Fos.
Boix-Trelis
Núria
N
Departament de Psicobiologia i Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
Vale-Martínez
Anna
A
Guillazo-Blanch
Gemma
G
Martí-Nicolovius
Margarita
M
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D020532:Basal Nucleus of Meynert / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002799:Cholinergic Fibers / Q000378:metabolism*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013788:Thalamus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000502:physiology
D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D000109:Acetylcholine