The role of whiskers in compensation of visual deficit in a mouse model of retinal degeneration.
Sensory deprivation in one modality can enhance the development of the remaining modalities via mechanisms of synaptic plasticity. Mice of the C3H strain suffer from RD1 retinal degeneration that leads to visual impairment at weaning age. We examined a role of whiskers in compensation of the visual deficit. In order to differentiate the contribution of the whiskers from other mechanisms that can take part in the compensation, we investigated the effect of both chronic and acute tactile deprivation. Three-month-old mice were used. We examined motor skills (rotarod, beam walking test), gait control (CatWalk system), spontaneous motor activity (open field) and CNS excitability to an acoustic stimulus for assessment of compensatory changes in auditory system (audiogenic epilepsy). In the sighted mice, the only effect was a decline in their rotarod test performance after acute whisker removal. In the blind animals, chronic tactile deprivation caused changes in their gait and impaired the performance in motor tests. Some other compensatory mechanisms were involved but the whiskers are essential for the compensation as it emerged from more marked change of gait and the worsening of the motor performance after the acute whisker removal. Both chronic and acute tactile deprivation induced anxiety-like behaviour. Only a combination of blindness and chronic tactile deprivation led to an increased sense of hearing.
Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Lidická 1, 301 66 Plzeň, Czech Republic; Sikl's Department of Pathology, University Hospital Pilsen, Charles University, Dr. E. Beneše 13, 305 66 Plzeň, Czech Republic. Electronic address: voller@lfp.cuni.cz.
Jaroslav
J
Voller
Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Lidická 1, 301 66 Plzeň, Czech Republic.
Barbora
B
Potužáková
Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Lidická 1, 301 66 Plzeň, Czech Republic.
Vojtěch
V
Šimeček
Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Lidická 1, 301 66 Plzeň, Czech Republic; Biomedical Centre, Faculty of Medicine in Pilsen, Charles University in Prague, Plzeň, Czech Republic.
František
F
Vožeh
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D001307:Auditory Perception; D001766:Blindness / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009043:Motor Activity; D009048:Motor Skills; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012683:Sensory Deprivation; D014738:Vibrissae / Q000502:physiology*; D014796:Visual Perception
Behaviour; Mouse; Retinal degeneration; Synaptic plasticity; Whiskers