Ascending noradrenergic excitation from the locus coeruleus to the anterior cingulate cortex

Molecular Brain

Ren-Hao Liu¹  Tao Chen²  Xu-Hui Li³  Qian Song³  Min Zhuo³  Qi-Yu Chen³  Kohei Koga⁴  Jun Ge⁵  Hidemasa Furue⁶  Akihiro Yamada⁶  Cheng Zhan⁷ 

[1] Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 710049, Xi’an, China;Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 710049, Xi’an, China;Department of Anatomy, Histology & Embryology, Air Force Medical University, 710032, Xi’an, China;Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 710049, Xi’an, China;Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King’s College Circle, M5S 1A8, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;Center for Neuron and Disease, Frontier Institute of Science and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 710049, Xi’an, China;Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Science Building, 1 King’s College Circle, M5S 1A8, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;Department of Neurophysiology, Hyogo College of Medicine, 663-8501, Nishinomiya, Japan;Department of Anatomy, Histology & Embryology, Air Force Medical University, 710032, Xi’an, China;Department of Neurophysiology, Hyogo College of Medicine, 663-8501, Nishinomiya, Japan;National Institute of Biological Sciences, 102206, Beijing, China;Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, 102206, Beijing, China;

关键词: Noradrenaline;    Anterior cingulate cortex;    Glutamatergic transmission;    Pyramidal neuron;    Layer II/III;    Optogenetics;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13041-020-00586-5

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays important roles in sensory perception including pain and itch. Neurons in the ACC receive various neuromodulatory inputs from subcortical structures, including locus coeruleus noradrenaline (LC-NA) neurons. Few studies have been reported about synaptic and behavioral functions of LC-NA projections to the ACC. Using viral-genetic method (AAV-DIO-eYFP) on DBH-cre mice, we found that LC-NA formed synaptic connections to ACC pyramidal cells but not interneurons. This is further supported by the electron microscopic study showing NAergic fibers contact the presynaptic inputs and post-synaptic areas of the pyramidal cells. NA application produced both pre- and post-synaptic potentiation effects in ACC excitatory transmission in vivo and in vitro. Activation of LC-NA projection to the ACC by optogenetic method produced enhancement of excitatory transmission in vitro and induced scratching and behavioral sensitization for mechanical stimulation. Our results demonstrate that LC-NA projections enhance or facilitate brain responses to pain and itch by potentiating glutamatergic synaptic transmissions in the ACC.

【 授权许可】

CC BY