gms | German Medical Science

56. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V. (DGNC)
3èmes journées françaises de Neurochirurgie (SFNC)

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e. V.
Société Française de Neurochirurgie

07. bis 11.05.2005, Strasbourg

Lesion of the pedunculopontine nucleus induces hyperactivity of subthalamic nucleus and substantia nigra pars reticulata and leads to a normalisation of the activity of these structures in the 6-OHDA rat model

Läsionierung des Nucleus pedunculopontius verursacht Hyperaktivität des Nucleus subthalamicus und der Substantia nigra pars reticulata und führt zu einer Normalisierung der Aktivität dieser Strukturen im 6-OHDA Rattenmodell

Meeting Abstract

  • corresponding author S. Breit - Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen
  • D. Freudenstein - Dept. of Neurosurgery, University of Tübingen
  • L. Selten - Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen
  • M. Tatagiba - Dept. of Neurosurgery, University of Tübingen
  • T. Gasser - Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen
  • J. B. Schulz - Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. Société Française de Neurochirurgie. 56. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie e.V. (DGNC), 3èmes journées françaises de Neurochirurgie (SFNC). Strasbourg, 07.-11.05.2005. Düsseldorf, Köln: German Medical Science; 2005. Doc11.05.-10.02

Die elektronische Version dieses Artikels ist vollständig und ist verfügbar unter: http://www.egms.de/de/meetings/dgnc2005/05dgnc0216.shtml

Veröffentlicht: 4. Mai 2005

© 2005 Breit et al.
Dieser Artikel ist ein Open Access-Artikel und steht unter den Creative Commons Lizenzbedingungen (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/deed.de). Er darf vervielfältigt, verbreitet und öffentlich zugänglich gemacht werden, vorausgesetzt dass Autor und Quelle genannt werden.


Gliederung

Text

Objective

Recent data suggest a role of the pedunculopontine nucleus (PPN) in basal ganglia pathophysiology. Although there is anatomical evidence that the PPN and the basal ganglia are reciprocally connected, the functional importance of these connections is poorly understood. Lesioning of the PPN was shown to induce akinesia in primates, whereas in the 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat model the PPN was found to be hyperactive.

Methods

As both nigrostriatal dopamine depletion and lesioning of the PPN were shown to induce akinesia and parkinsonism, we investigated the changes in neuronal activity of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and the substantia nigra pars reticulata (SNr) after ibotenic acid lesioning of the PPN and after unilateral 6-OHDA lesioning of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) in rats. In addition we assessed changes in STN and SNr activity after PPN-lesioning of previously SNc-lesioned rats.

Results

The firing rate of STN neurons significantly increased from 10.2±6.2 spikes/s (mean ± s.d.) to 14.6±11.7 spikes/s after lesion of the PPN and to 18.6±14.5 spikes/s after lesion of the SNc. The activity of SNr significantly increased from 19.6±10.5 spikes/s to 28.7±13.4 spikes/s after PPN lesioning and to 23.5±10.8 spikes/s after SNc lesioning. Rats with combined SNc- and PPN-lesions showed a normalisation of firing pattern in both STN (9.1±5.8 spikes/s) and SNr (17.8±9.7 spikes/s).

Conclusions

The similarity of changes in neuronal activity of the STN and SNr in both lesioning models suggest a common pathophysiological mechanism of akinesia induced either by nigrostriatal degeneration or by lesioning of the PPN. Furthermore the data suggest that the akinesia induced by PPN lesion is mediated via the basal ganglia and not via downstream projections to the brainstem and medulla. The normalisation of the STN and SNr activity in 6-OHDA treated rats induced by the additional lesioning of the PPN suggest that Parkinson’s patients might benefit from deep brain stimulation of the PPN.