gms | German Medical Science

71. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC)
9. Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC) e. V.

21.06. - 24.06.2020

Effect of harmaline on neuronal activity in cerebellar Purkinje cells in a genetic mouse model of tremor

Effekte von Harmalin auf die neuronale Aktivität von Purkinje-Zellen des Kleinhirns in einem genetischen Mausmodell für Tremor

Meeting Abstract

  • presenting/speaker Mesbah Alam - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Abteilung für Neurochirurgie, Hannover, Deutschland
  • Xingxing Jin - Zhongda Hospital Southeast University China, Abteilung für Neurochirurgie, Nanjin, China
  • Simeon Helgers - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Abteilung für Neurochirurgie, Hannover, Deutschland
  • Joachim K. Krauss - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Abteilung für Neurochirurgie, Hannover, Deutschland
  • Kerstin Schwabe - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Abteilung für Neurochirurgie, Hannover, Deutschland
  • Erich Schneider - Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Institut für Pharmakologie, Hannover, Deutschland

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. 71. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie (DGNC), 9. Joint Meeting mit der Japanischen Gesellschaft für Neurochirurgie. sine loco [digital], 21.-24.06.2020. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2020. DocP218

doi: 10.3205/20dgnc504, urn:nbn:de:0183-20dgnc5045

Published: June 26, 2020

© 2020 Alam et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Objective: Harmaline-induced tremor by activation of GABAA receptors is a commonly used model of essential tremor. Clinical and experimental findings suggest that altered cerebellar function is involved in tremor generation. The atypical chemokine receptor 1 (Ackr1) is exclusively expressed in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs). It has been shown that Ackr1−/− knock out (KO) mice are sensitive to develop harmaline induced tremor.

To investigate potential differences in cerebellar neuronal activity of PCs in wild type (Wt) and Ackr1−/− KO mice, and the effect of harmaline.

Methods: We recorded single unit (SU) activity together with local field potentials (LFPs) under urethane anesthesia (1.6 g/kg, i.p.) in Ackr1−/− KO mice (N=8) and Wt control mice (N=9) before and after harmaline injection (15mg/kg).

Results: A total of 1736 cerebellar PCs were recorded from Wt and KO mice. The PCs neuronal firing rate was higher and the dispersion of index as a measure for irregularity was lower in Wt mice compared to KO mice (P<0.001). Harmaline decreased the firing rate and increased the dispersion index without differences in KO and Wt mice (P<0.001). The percentage of regular firing patterns was lower and the burst pattern was higher in KO compared to Wt mice (P<0.001). Injection of harmaline increased the burst patterns in both Wt and KO mice (P<0.05). The relative power of cerebellar theta, alpha, and beta band activity was lower, while gamma was higher in KO as compared to Wt mice. Harmaline-injection enhanced theta band activity in both Wt and KO mice (P<0.001), whereas beta band activity was enhanced, and gamma band activity was reduced only in KO mice (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Neuronal activity of PC cells differed between Wt and KO mice both with regard to single unit firing patterns and relative power of oscillatory activity. Overall, harmaline-injection affected neuronal activity, which was not specific for KO mice.