Synaptic excitation by sacrocaudal afferent (SCA) input of sacral relay neurons projecting rostrally through the ventral white matter funiculi (VF neurons) is a potent activator of the hindlimb central pattern generators (CPGs) in rodent spinal cords lacking descending supraspinal control. Using electrophysiological recordings from the sacral and lumbar spinal segments, we show that the motor output of the lumbar segments produced by SCA stimulation is enhanced by exposing the sacral segments of the neonatal rat spinal cord to the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor edrophonium (EDR). Histochemical and immunostaining of the sacral cord reveals expression of acetylcholinesterase activity, ability to synthesize acetylcholine, and/or innervation by cholinergic synaptic inputs in significant proportions of fluorescently back-labeled sacral VF neurons. Moreover, the majority of the VF neurons express M2 muscarinic receptors, raising the possibility that the elevated acetylcholine levels resulting from inhibition of acetylcholinesterase act on such receptors. Indeed, sacral application of atropine or the M2 -type receptor antagonist methoctramine was found to reverse the effects of EDR. We suggest that variations in the sacral level of acetylcholine modulate the SCA-induced locomotor rhythm via muscarinic receptor-dependent mechanisms and that the modified activity of sacral VF neurons in the presence of an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor can be partially ascribed to the cholinergic components associated with them. Thus, pharmacological manipulations of the sacral cholinergic system may be used to modulate the locomotor-related motor output in the absence of descending supraspinal control.
Pubmed ID: 24752570 RIS Download
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This polyclonal targets VESICULAR ACETYLCHOLINE TRANSPORTER (VAChT)
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View all literature mentionsThis polyclonal targets VGLUT 1
View all literature mentionsRattus norvegicus with name Hsd:SD from RGD.
View all literature mentionsThis polyclonal targets CHRM2
View all literature mentionsThis polyclonal targets VESICULAR ACETYLCHOLINE TRANSPORTER (VAChT)
View all literature mentionsThis polyclonal targets Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter
View all literature mentionsThis polyclonal targets Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter
View all literature mentionsThis polyclonal targets CHRM2
View all literature mentionsThis polyclonal targets VESICULAR ACETYLCHOLINE TRANSPORTER (VAChT)
View all literature mentionsThis polyclonal targets VGLUT 1
View all literature mentionsRattus norvegicus with name Hsd:SD from RGD.
View all literature mentionsMulti paradigm numerical computing environment and fourth generation programming language developed by MathWorks. Allows matrix manipulations, plotting of functions and data, implementation of algorithms, creation of user interfaces, and interfacing with programs written in other languages, including C, C++, Java, Fortran and Python. Used to explore and visualize ideas and collaborate across disciplines including signal and image processing, communications, control systems, and computational finance.
View all literature mentions